KAREN HINDHAUGHER - Senior Business Development Manager

Karen’s background is as a senior manager in the Gas Industry heading up the Communications teams for Transco and National Grid.

During her time in the gas industry, she has provided both Stockton and Newcastle Warm Zones with strategic communications and marketing support.

Karen became Director of Gateshead Warm Zone in 2005, setting up and running the Gateshead project and also worked to develop other Warm Zones in Kirklees, Wakefield, North Tyneside and Wales.

In 2007 Karen joined Community Energy Solutions setting up the GoWarm project, taking area-based projects to a new level. Working across the whole of the North East and North Yorkshire instead of with single councils, the new delivery model significantly reduced operational costs and was hailed as an example of best practice.

Recognising the importance of working at a Grassroots level, and how vital strong community engagement was to ensure buy-in to the scheme, Karen ensured that community engagement was as the very heart of the GoWarm project. This was pivotal to its success and resulted in 80% of residents in an area, engaging with the project team and going on to have energy efficiency measures installed.

Karen’s communication skills were key when negotiating with local authorities, funders and other stakeholders to make area-based projects happen, and successfully led to raising millions of pounds of funding to deliver the schemes.

In 2017 Karen joined J & J Crump & Son Ltd, heading up the Business Development Team, and has since gone on to establish solid relationships with Local Authorities, social housing providers and funders, the length and breadth of the UK. This has seen J & J Crump & Son Ltd become an installer with national reach. Its area-based schemes have gone on to win awards for best large-scale projects in London, the North East and Devon & Cornwall.

Karen said ‘knowing you’re making a real difference to people’s lives, tackling fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions is the reason why most of us do it.’