The Footprint Trust’s founder and General Manager Ray Harrington-Vail is retiring after 21 years at the helm of the organisation.
The Footprint Trust was founded as an education charity in 2002 with the aim of promoting sustainable living linked to reducing the Island’s ecological and carbon footprint. The charity has a rare concept, to help people and the planet. This has been achieved through delivering a number of projects over the years. One theme that it has followed since its early days is to promote energy efficiency in homes and thus cut carbon, and help relieve fuel poverty.
Bridge builder
Ray built bridges between businesses, charities and councils so that people could be helped and the environment protected.
When the charity started, recycling rates on the Island were low, so the Trust worked with Island Waste and then Amey to drive up these figures. They delivered workshops in schools and at events.
Raised £6m in donations, grants and help-in-kind
To date Ray has helped raise some £6 million in donations, grants and help-in-kind to support local fuel poor households. In total some 30,000 people have been supported by the Trust. Some by helpful guidance, others by grant-funded heating systems and free insulation. Ray has also assisted other charities with raising funds bringing in around a further £2 million to the Island.
Worked in areas of depravation
As a boy, he witnessed poverty in his hometown of Mitcham in south London. He worked many years later with very poor children in Reading.
On coming to the Island some 25 years ago he found out about the deprivation here and decided to do something about it.
Mixing his joint passions of practical environmentalism and social reform he, with a small group of like-minded people, set up the Footprint Trust, following the publication of the Island State report in 1999.
Shocked by low pay and poor working conditions
When he arrived on the Island he was shocked by the low pay and poor working conditions of many employees here.
In response, he established the Footprint Trust as a model progressive employer, as well as being charitable to its clients it is also to its staff. Under his watch it has championed fair pay. The charity has actively recruited women and supported flexible working.
Management and experience
Ray brought to the Trust management and experience that he had gained working in many sectors. These included employment as a nurse in the NHS, as a local government officer and directorships in the private sector.
His volunteering for good causes started when he was a teenager in the Army Cadets. His interest in nature and the environment was grown from angling and bird watching as a child.
Foster parent
His proudest achievement was fostering and helping to rescue children from difficult home lives.
One foster child who is still in contact with him and his wife Amanda, is shortly off to university. A great outcome for a child who had been in care.
Returned to nursing at vaccination centre
Last year Ray returned to nursing part-time helping to vaccinate adults and children against Covid.
His heart is in science and sees medical science as one of the greatest human achievements.
Supporter of renewable energy and energy conservation
He is a supporter of renewable energy and energy conservation. Like many leading environmentalists, he also backs nuclear power as part of the energy mix.
He has never owned a car, is a big fan of public transport, supports rail development and is delighted that Island Line has been modernised. He is a Director of Wight Community Energy, who own a solar farm on the Island.
Harrington-Vail: Dedication of colleagues is amazing
Ray has paid tribute to all the hard work of his colleagues past and present.
“Without their help, support and ideas, the Trust would not be where it is today. Their dedication is amazing, doing extra things for clients such as dropping of emergency heaters on their days off.
“My family and friends who have helped me and the Trust, through volunteering and fundraising and other support…”
National Heat Hero status
During his work at the Trust he was given National Heat Hero status by National Energy Action for his work in combating fuel poverty on the Island.
The Open University made him an honorary Master, for his work in education in relation to numeracy and the Monergy project he set up.
He is looking forward to seeing more of his seven grandchildren and his wife Amanda, who is due to retire from university lecturing very soon.
Find out more about the Footprint Trust by visiting their Website or social media page.
