Joanna Meakin is Senior Project Manager for ActionHeat.  She joined MEA in November 2007.

Professional Interests: Tackling fuel poverty, energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy.

Qualifications: A-levels  

Skills: creativity, speaking publicly, and staying enthusiastic and motivated!   

Where I've come from: Shrewsbury

I like: Spending time with my daughter, partner & friends , entertaining (even learning to cook for this very reason!),  the countryside, music - both listening and playing through my very feeble attempts to learn the guitar, theatre, reading, British films and pretty much anything else which stops life becoming too mundane!!

A moral I live my life by: Life is yours for the taking, you have to make the most of every opportunity, create opportunities which aren't already there and above all else enjoy it!!  

How I'm trying to live more sustainably: Recycle as much household waste as possible, use public transport and buy local produce where I can - or raid my parents vegetable garden which I find much more cost effective and far tastier!

I believe the greatest threat to our current society and environment is Society as a whole tends to rely on others to find solutions we need to be more proactive on an individual basis without waiting for others to give us the solutions and tell us what to do!

My 'dirty secret' (nothing lewd or personal here please - from a sustainability point of view only!): Even at the grand old age of 28 I'm still scared of the dark and insist on leaving the landing lights on all night  if I'm on my own in the house - which probably isn't the most carbon friendly thing to do!

It may surprise you to know but  . . . I spent most of my childhood in a boiler suit and wellies growing up on a farm as a result I can drive a tractor, calf a cow, lamb a sheep and  know how to milk a cow (and a goat for that matter)!!  

If things had turned out differently I might have been . . .  a famous rock star (well anythings possible albeit unlikely!)