Jonathan Ackroyd Email & Phone Number

Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Beaumont Rivers manages positive environmental works for the benefit of people and nature. Projects include river and wetland restoration, fish passage and species migration, permitting and environmental assessment, corporate sustainability, and more! Visit our website for current projects and more information.

Oxford, England, United Kingdom

I had a part time incident response role responsible for coordinating the government response to flooding across the UK. This involves using all the assets at your disposal to protect people and property from being affected by flooding, and mitigating the impact of a wide range of environmental incidents such as pollution or fish kill incidents. My most high profile incident was the Toddbrook Reservoir Incident at Whaley Bridge, where I volunteered to be FIDO responding to the partial collapse of the dam. This involved working with multiple agencies to evacuate approximately 1500 people from the downstream town of Whaley Bridge and use of a helicopter to fill the scour hole on the face of the dam while the reservoir was drained. The successful outcome of this work saved lives and prevented significant flooding and damage to downstream communities. I also volunteered in the 2020 River Severn flooding event in Tewkesbury and various other incidents around the UK, as well as being on a regular roster looking after my local area. This role requires a diverse range of skills and knowledge, including environmental issues and management techniques, policy and engineering. It also requires the ability to be organised and work well under pressure. In this role, I have saved lives as well as prevented property damage and environmental harm. In March 2020, I was made Lead FIDO for Thames North area, and became responsible for the training and management of other FIDO’s in the region.

Oxford, England, United Kingdom

Responsible for project management and environmental consulting in the Upper Thames Catchment, which I balanced with a secondary role as Lead Flood Incident Duty Officer.Primarily, I project managed a range of undertakings, including design, construction and maintenance of flood risk and navigation assets, as well as consulting on conservation programmes for rare, invasive or potentially reintroduced species (i.e. beavers). Often, these projects were a mixture of engineering and conservation, such as the design and build of eel or fish passes. In this multi-faceted role, I achieve results by combining research with communication and networking skills to build up links within partner organisations, academic institutions and people who use or own sections of river, such as fishing or water sports clubs and landowners. This has given me a proven track record of overcoming practical and political obstacles to get the job done.

Oxford

I worked in Asset Performance Teams in Oxford and Ipswich, leading projects on the River Thames, River Gipping and the Orwell Estuary. This was a highly diverse role that channels all aspects of the Environment Agency’s work within the area through me as a single point of contact. I utilised a wide range of skills in geography, engineering, design, conservation and ecology to realise the aims and objectives of the Environment Agency and my personal ambitions to improve the environment. I utilise a great deal of legislation to achieve outcomes in my role, and have been instrumental in getting the area more compliant with the EU Water Framework Directive by improving river continuity, and have used the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to justify and drive conservation projects across East Anglia into environmental outcome. From this expertise and my links with wildlife organisations, such as Natural England and Suffolk Wildlife Trust, I became responsible for invasive species management across Norfolk and Suffolk. Furthermore, I spearheaded research into beaver reintroduction in East Anglia.

I worked on hydrological surveys but also carried out other land survey practices, such as cadastral, topographic, bathymetric and utility surveys. My role involved taking responsibility for survey jobs in the office and in the field; from the initial planning and preparation stages through to capturing and processing the survey data and delivering the finished product to the client. This requires excellent organisation and time management, a strong work ethic, and the ability to manage assistants and communicate with clients effectively. I also trained assistants when necessary, in order to keep their professional development on track.

I was the Analyst for the Oxford Academic Health Science Network’s Cost Improvement Programme. This was a fixed term, four-month contract, during which I analysed data to determine the best management of energy and carbon emissions for large organisations. Results were presented in PowerPoint presentations and written reports. I worked with nine NHS Trusts and three Universities to collaborate and cut projected costs by up to £19 million (up to 2020) and improve their carbon emissions. Other responsibilities included research into new technology and government policies, survey creation, bidding on tenders, business development, website development and general management.

United Kingdom

I have a part time involvement with my family company that also produces one-off engineering projects for television companies and education. Projects I have been involved in include making: Jet-powered luge, water-powered car, solar-powered boat, gadget chair, gravity racers, hovercraft, aircraft and modifying an aqua trike to cross the Straits of Gibraltar. I set the World Land Speed Record for Soapbox driving in 2008.