Iconic alternative energy centre appoints ex-trustees to run it

Martin Shipton

The pioneering Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth is in crisis and has appointed two former trustees as employees to run it.

Founded in 1973 in a disused slate quarry, CAT was one of the first organisations in Europe to research the possibilities for renewable energy.

But in recent years it has been plagued by a succession of financial crises and has severely limited public access.

A source told us: “At CAT the visitors’ centre remains shut and the funicular railway isn’t working. I think given the recent stories about the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, and crumbling infrastructure, there is probably a tie-in to a broader question about the neglect of the infrastructure of Wales’ cultural assets.

“What I think sharpens the story is there are more changes to the CAT trustees board. There have been a whole bunch of resignations recently of older trustees – a new bunch joined a few months ago, some of whom have already resigned. They are advertising for more trustees at the moment.

“The senior management team has disappeared from the CAT website and the people page is looking a bit more sparse. I believe that a couple of the trustees have approached the Charity Commission about transferring to being paid managers. Given lack of open advertisement of the roles etc, I think that there is probably a question worth investigating as to whether trustees that have been responsible for poor oversight and the decline of the organisation, and were involved in a failed open CEO process to which they were party, should necessarily be able to parachute themselves into management roles.

“It is an organisation in distress, and while it isn’t a part of the National Museum of Wales, I think at a time that there is a broader conversation about Wales’ crumbling cultural assets, something that has historically been an anchor to the area needs to be visible as a problem to the Welsh Government.”

A CAT spokesperson said: “We have taken proactive steps to address the operational and financial challenges facing the organisation. We have put in place a structured recovery programme and recently launched our new five-year strategy, which will underpin our short-term priorities. Like many charities and higher education institutions, CAT is operating in a challenging financial environment. Our new strategy provides a clear roadmap for improving resilience, growing educational activity and securing a sustainable future.”

CAT published a blog on October 29 announcing the appointment of former trustees Rhiannon Turner and Megan McGrattan as interim chief executive and interim chief operating officer respectively.

Five-year strategy

Ms Turner is quoted in the blog as saying: “Megan and I join the CAT team in time to launch CAT’s new five-year strategy for 2026–2031. This is an opportunity to build on CAT’s extraordinary history while being clear about the challenges ahead, what we need to protect, what we need to change and where we can have the greatest impact. The strategy gives us a framework for focusing our efforts, learning as we go and for making deliberate choices about where CAT can contribute the most.

“There are six priorities that will guide our work over the next five years:

• “CAT as an educator and skills provider: developing our educational offer, reaching new audiences and equipping more people with the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to help create a sustainable future.
• “CAT as a demonstrator and testbed for doing and learning: making better use of our site and operations as a living laboratory, testing ideas, learning from experience and sharing what works.
• “CAT’s role in bringing people together to make change: strengthening our role as a place for collaboration, discussion and the exchange of ideas, connecting people who might not otherwise work together.
• “The CAT site and its uses for our audiences: reinvigorating our site, working towards reopening the Visitor Centre and making the most of this unique place as a resource for learning, inspiration and practical action.
• “Our organisational culture, structure and ways of working: building a more collaborative, inclusive and caring organisation, improving how we communicate and make decisions, and ensuring people can contribute their knowledge and experience.
• “Our financial performance and operations: strengthening our financial resilience, improving how we generate income and ensuring that the way we work enables us to deliver our charitable mission over the long term.”

However, a Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We have an ongoing regulatory compliance case into the Centre for Alternative Technology Limited to examine governance concerns at the charity. We are engaging with the charity’s trustees as we gather more information to determine any appropriate action or response. Separately, the charity has submitted an application seeking our permission to temporarily appoint two trustees to paid roles which are currently vacant. We are considering this and have requested more information from the applicants in order to help us reach a view.”