SCOTTISH FUEL POVERTY ADVISORY PANEL - Key Persons
Alister Steele has 30 years' experience in delivering affordable housing and community regeneration. As Managing Director of Castle Rock Housing Association, he led the development and implementation of the organisation's energy and fuel poverty strategies. He co-founded and chaired Our Power, a not-for-profit energy supply business, and is currently a Board member of Communities Housing Trust and Allia Social Impact Investments. Alister was awarded the MBE in June 2014 for services to social housing and regeneration in Edinburgh.
Fraser Stewart is the Just Transitions Lead at Regen, working with everyone from citizens and communities to energy networks to policymakers and regulators to ensure fairness is built into every bit of the energy system. Originally from Forfar in the North East of Scotland, Fraser has recent lived experience of fuel poverty, growing up in an area of high deprivation, and works closely with communities and families experiencing the issue every day. Alongside deep professional expertise, Fraser brings an intimate knowledge both from a personal and a real-world standpoint, in addition to strong knowledge of policy processes, design, and analysis at local, Scottish, and UK level.
Job Titles:
- Senior Lecturer
- Managing Editor for the Journal Energy Research
- Panel Member
Kirsten Jenkins is a Senior Lecturer in Energy, Environment and Society within the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies group at the University of Edinburgh and Programme Director for the Energy, Society and Sustainability MSc.
Her background is as a sustainable development and human geography scholar, with research interests that centre on:
Energy justice
Energy policy
Science, technology, and innovations studies
Transitions theory
Sustainable energy provision and use.
Alongside her lectureship, Kirsten serves as Managing Editor for the journal Energy Research and Social Science, Associate Fellow of the Durham Energy Institute, and external examiner to postgraduate programmes in Development, Environment and Policy at SOAS University of London. Kirsten also runs two large international energy social science networks and works on research grants related to fuel and transport poverty, inclusivity in the energy transition and Just Transitions.
Margaret Corrigan has recently retired from managing front-line fuel poverty services, where she worked for 9 years. She has seen first-hand the struggles and subsequent impact on those families living in fuel poverty. She understands how difficult it is as she was a single parent with one income trying to juggle bills while keeping her child warm. She strives to be the voice of those families who still struggle to get by each day.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Scottish Government 's Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel
Matthew Cole is a passionate champion of consumers across the energy landscape. He ensures that their circumstances are understood, their needs are better met, and their stories are told.
Matt heads up the Fuel Bank Foundation, which provides same-day financial support and proactive advice to families living without heat or power, using the lived experience of the 750k people helped to date to influence and shape government policy and industry standards, and to drive a renewed focus on delivering great customer outcomes back across the energy industry.
Matt is the chair of the Scottish Government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel, and continues to advocate and provide a voice for some of the unique energy-related issues encountered by the most vulnerable groups in society. He also independently chairs the Energy Switch Guarantee, a trust mark established by the energy sector to drive customer improvements above and beyond the regulatory baseline.
Philippa Brosnan leads the secretariat, works with the Panel to agree its strategic priorities and work plan, and supports the delivery of this plan. She facilitates the Panel's relationships with key fuel poverty stakeholders, and also assists the Panel in its collaborative approach to tackling fuel poverty. She helps the Panel to have impact with government and the wider stakeholder community, ensuring its independent voice on fuel poverty is heard. Philippa ensures that the right governance and systems - to enable the Panel to function effectively - are in place.
Roanna is a social researcher. She supports the Panel in understanding the fuel poverty research and evidence landscape, including the lived experience of those in fuel poverty. Roanna also advises the Panel on the Scottish Government's fuel poverty monitoring and evaluation framework, as well as the Scottish Government's progress towards meeting the 2040 fuel poverty targets. This work includes drawing on, and networking with, a community of fuel poverty data holders, policy experts and researchers across the third, public and private sectors.
Trisha leads the day-to-day operational arrangements which enable the Panel to fulfil its role, and ensure compliance with all governance arrangements. She supports the Panel, Philippa and the wider team. Trisha also organises Panel and other meetings, manages the mailbox, makes travel bookings, responds to enquiries, and acts as a first point of contact for the Panel and secretariat. Trisha supports the communication strategy, including the Panel's website.