About Us – Hook Norton Low Carbon

Hook Norton Low Carbon Ltd is a Mutual Society set up for the benefit of the local community and environment.

Our purpose is to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of the community by promoting the implementation of carbon reduction and renewable energy initiatives at a local and individual level within and around Hook Norton. Our key aim is to provide a legacy for future generations within Hook Norton and wider community where energy supply and usage does not impact upon our planet and lifestyle.

We are a Co-operative and Community Benefit Society, set up to help the community reduce its energy consumption, carbon emissions and save money. We run a range of community-based schemes, including the provision of the solar panels and insulation work at the school and the Baptist Church, and also individual household projects based on interest-free or low cost loans.

We also have a community car club, energy club and co-working space in the village. We support local initiatives and we hold regular meetings on a wide range of topics, directly and indirectly linked to energy saving.

This website holds information about various projects both current and historic, for current activity follow us on Facebook, Instagram. and LinkedIn

Become a member

For a £1 fee, anyone who supports the aims of Hook Norton Low Carbon (HNLC) can become a shareholder in HNLC and help run and benefit from the projects it undertakes.

As a Co-operative and Community Benefit Society, we have set Rules by which we operate. A copy of our Rules is available here.

The joining process: Our company rules require that all applications for membership must be approved by the management committee. You need to be over 18, and can only join as an individual. In practical terms the only reason the committee would refuse a member is if that person did not support the aims of the company.

HNLC will offer you help and support through emails and open meetings, to which all our members are invited. We will only email you with information that is in keeping with the aims and objectives of HNLC. Those aims can be found below, and by becoming a member of HNLC, you are agreeing to pledge your support.

Once your application has been approved, we will send you our bank information so that you can make your £1 share fee payment. Once payment has been received, we will issue you with a share certificate, which will give you access to all the HNLC initiatives along with a vote at our open meetings.

Join Hook Norton Low Carbon here

Hook Norton Low Carbon Ltd Purpose, Vision, Mission, Values and Aims.

Our Purpose:

Hook Norton Low Carbon Ltd is a Mutual Society set up for the benefit of the local community and environment. Our purpose is to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of the community by promoting the implementation of carbon reduction and renewable energy initiatives at a local and individual level within and around Hook Norton.

Our Vision:

Our vision is for all members of our community to have a low personal carbon footprint whilst maintaining and improving quality of life and for Hook Norton to become an exemplar of an environmentally sustainable community.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to encourage behavioural change to reduce energy consumption and to facilitate and, where necessary, help to fund the implementation of carbon reduction measures in an effective and timely fashion. We will achieve this by drawing in external funding, trading and managing our resources to generate the sustainable revenue streams that we believe are key to our ongoing success.

Our Values:

We recognise the need for the support of the community and to ensure the benefits are shared as widely as possible within it.

We will take a cooperative approach and share the workload to get things done.

Our Aims (Based on the priorities outlined at our first AGM in May 2011):

Our key aim is to provide a legacy for future generations within Hook Norton and wider community where energy supply and usage does not impact upon our planet and lifestyle.
Achieve a measured community-wide reduction in energy usage:
- Develop support mechanisms in understanding and influencing behavioural changes in lifestyles to achieve a low carbon community
- e.g. measurement through links to the Oxford University EVALOC research project and the Smart Hooky smart grid project with Western Power.
Continue the successful householder loans scheme to help everyone reduce the amount of energy we need to heat and power their homes:
- as a minimum we want to ensure that all homes in Hooky have the opportunity to install adequate loft insulation, draught proofing and, where possible, filled cavity walls.
Offer viable alternatives to personal car use for transport to and from HN:
- e.g.: development of Hooky Car Club and the community waste-oil biodiesel fuel tank – possible extension to wider public transport provision.

Investigate and develop community led initiatives for alternative sources of energy, where applicable in partnership with local businesses.
- e.g.: investigating the viability of an anaerobic digestion plant in partnership with Hook Norton Brewery, using brewery waste as source of energy.
- e.g.: collecting wind speed data from a ‘met mast’ and encouraging local debate on the issues arising from possible wind power developments.
Partner with providers of low carbon alternative technologies and derive a benefit back to HNLC to help fund our activities:
- e.g. affiliation schemes with Green Energy UK and the Phone Co-op and links to renewables suppliers such as Southern Solar and Solar Tech.
Assess whether HNLC should play a role in providing affordable & low carbon housing development in the community:
- Feasibility of developing Hook Norton Community Land Trust or similar, that could be the legal entity to take a lead in new homes in our community;
- Develop opportunities to partner with Cherwell DC and Sanctuary (ex-Charter) Housing Group.
One of our over-arching aims is to reach all sections of our community, especially the elderly, disadvantaged and low income households.

Meet The Team

Tim Lunel

I have had the pleasure of working in different aspects of the environmental field all my working life in private, public and now the charitable sectors. Right from the very first meeting hosted at our very own “Green Flag” school I have felt inspired by the way that people in Hook Norton want to make a difference and don’t just want to talk about things but to take action to reduce the amount of energy they use whether motivated by saving money or acting to counter climate change. The great thing about the members of Hook Norton Low Carbon is that all those different motivations can come together and we really are showing how we are a leading community not just in the UK but the wider world.

Charlie Luxton

Charlie Luxton Design started as a one-man practice in 2005 and since then has grown slowly but steadily in to an eight-person practice, always sticking to its core principles of creating beautiful, sustainable homes fit for the 21st century with projects that now include Hook Norton Community Housing. Charlie is director of the practice, a tv presenter and public speaker. He joined HNLC in the early days and has been one of its key members ever since

Bethan Dennick

Bethan joined the team to look after the loans committee. She has also contributed to the future planning for the company. She is also an active member of Hook Norton Community Smallholding, often known as “Hooky Pigs”!

Keith Musson

Keith runs S-branch, a Fraud Analytics Consultancy business. S-branch assists its clients to identify crime and fraud in large amounts of data using the latest technology. Keith is interested in sustainable transportation. “I believe Bicycles have a place in our daily transport, rather than simply being a hobby. Mainland Europe is far ahead of us on this one. Some of this is down to infrastructure and cycle paths. A lot of it is perception.” Keith helps manage the maintenance and promotion of the HNLC e-bikes initiative. We have 4 e-bikes available to hire at a ludicrously cheap price. These are here for the community to use and enjoy. They are also there to promote e-bikes as a concept. A number of people have bought there own since trying ours.

Jessica D’Souza

Jess is a marketer with over 15 years experience, mainly within B2B tech start-ups. She is currently a Marketing Director for a consultancy firm, plus has her own clients where she advises and assists on the latest marketing technology.

She also volunteers marketing skills to the dog charity, Barking Mad Dog Rescue, that helped rescue her dog Chooky from the streets of Romania.

She loves the outdoors and traveling. Her idea of relaxing is bouncing down a mountain on a bike, or kayaking around a cave lined coast.

She is passionate about living a sustainable, low carbon lifestyle, and was very impressed with the impact HNLC had on the local community when she moved to the village 6 years ago. Over the last few years she has made many changes towards this. Some of these include getting solar panels, becoming vegetarian, using the Hooky eBikes instead of driving, shopping more eco consciously (e.g. wool clothes, natural household products, using refill and zero plastic shops, always carrying a water bottle) and recently switching to a plug-in hybrid car.

She is also a fan of quality beer. Real ale and Belgium styles being her favourite.

Richard Noviss

As a self-employed Master Mason and Stone Carver for over 35 years I am committed to conservation of historic buildings using traditional lime techniques. I am actively involved in training and assessing the next generation of masons to ensure that they have a full understanding and appreciation of conservation techniques and traditional carving practice.
I endeavour to help build a greater caring society in Hook Norton striving to develop ideas to improve the village. I have an allotment and I am also Chair of the Allotment Association.

Kim Murray

I‘m born and raised just outside of Hook Norton, my family have historically not been very involved in the community, and I believe we were poorer for it. This has resulted in it being a very prevalent sentiment for me as an adult to be a part of the community. Joining HNLC group would be a great opportunity to become more involved in my community and offer my skill set and experience in finance and renewable projects. It’s been wonderful to see what HNLC group have done from its conception to the current day. Sustainability and reducing our impact on the plant is a core value for me, having the opportunity to work with such an organisation would be a wonderful resource and wealth of knowledge to be a part of.

Dan Farmiloe

The challenge of meeting the UK’s legally-binding Net Zero targets will require each and every one of us to make significant changes to the way we live. Whilst there will be costs associated with the transition to Net Zero, there will also be benefits and opportunities. I believe that community groups such as Hook Norton Low Carbon can help local residents capture the benefits resulting from improvements in
technology, better education and understanding of our impact on our planet, and through the delivery of community projects and schemes such as the Car Club, low-cost loan facility and eBikes. I have spent most of my professional life working in the energy sector, with much of my recent experience relating to the delivery of renewable heating and power projects. I have enjoyed using my industry knowledge and experience to assist the work done by the HNLC Board over the past 12 months. I want to help HNLC build upon its existing work and see how the organisation can further assist Hooky residents in decarbonising their homes and transport, especially if this can help reduce their energy bills at a time when we are all feeling the effects of the current energy price crisis.

Matt Jameson

Matt works in the renewable energy sector and lives in the village. Hook Norton Low Carbon has already given villagers access to affordable, renewable energy, and when Matt discovered the initiative he was keen to play his part in supporting this unique group. Sustainable development of the area matters for current and future generations, and the pragmatic, local-led approach HNLC takes will benefit residents for years to come.

Sakine Faulkner

Having obtained a maths degree as an adult in 1987 and chartered accountancy qualifications in 1991, I have run my own practice since I arrived in Hook Norton in 2002. I believe strongly in looking after ourselves and the environment and avoiding being a burden on the system: practicing Pilates, having a garden and allotment, growing vegetables and fruit are my ways of achieving this.
I feel very lucky to be living in Hook Norton and am happy to help Hook Norton Low Carbon.

Diana Barber

Administrator

Diana is responsible for day to day admin. Maintaining records, collating loan applications, invoicing car club members, organising events, and lots more…