Founders’ Credentials
Charity Number #2
Community Owned Power Generation Station
Mutual & Co-operative Ownership: COPGS
We would not normally mention past charity projects. But the fact that at least one of the three people in this following photograph intends to raise sufficient funds to prove the viability of community based power stations means that we need cover past experience….
^^ Iain Sim (right side of photo) now runs ^^
^^ The TS Queen Mary Charity ^^
Russ McLean (centre position in photo) prepared the Constitution and registered the TS Queen Mary Charity.
=> Russ McLean is preparing to register the new Community Owned Power Stations Charity (charity number #3), IF the first “proof-of-concept” power station proves the numbers are viable.
=> To be precise: if the proof-of-concept initiative funded by the sale of our spare buildings here achieve the construction of an ecologically sound, power generator station and the financial numbers actually work! If we can prove this, then many such power stations can be built all across the UK. Specifically at locations where communities state they want them.
=> Then in the format of community-owned power stations. Each will produce electricity at HALF the current (April 2023) price level. Once the thesis is proven, we will register the new co-ordinating charity (number #3).
By way of proven past experience and skillset built up over many years, the second charity (#2) is the: Friends of TS Queen Mary. This was started in 2012 by Iain Sim and Russ McLean…
^^ Prepared & Registered at OSCR in Dundee By Russ McLean ^^
This Friends of TS Queen Mary charity is now run by Iain Sim. Russ McLean is devoting all the time he has available to the Community Owned Power Generation (COPG) initiative. This being low environmental impact and high ecological credential projects via: hydro~electric + solar~farm + wind~turbine + tidal~energy projects.
=> Whilst the past cannot guarantee the future, it is important to provide bona fides from previous projects as these may give comfort that those pioneering future charity efforts have a decent idea of what they are doing.
By way of earlier example: the funds raised for the Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity as officially recorded by the OSCR Charity Commissioner are…
^^ Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity Accounts ^^
Source: Click Here
Since 2018 when the charity was fortunate enough to secure Mr Robbie Coltrane as patron, the finances took a significant boost to £313,897 income that year. Robbie worked tirelessly to help. A large number of those donations were reciprocate with personal letters of thanks. This is all the more significant as Robbie was in a lot of pain during this time.
As part of the funding initiatives, there is only so much a fairly modes crew of volunteers can do. Even though Robbie had gotten the twinkle back in his eyes at being around some beloved old classic (since distressingly having to sell some of his beloved cars due to painful joint inflammation rendering work on the engines nigh impossible), the work volume of all the trustees and patron was increasing.
^^ Robbie Coltrane ^^
Patron of the TS Queen Mary Charity
Once the ship had been purchased and towed back from London to Glasgow, it became apparent that very large amounts of funds would have to be raised.
It was incredibly tragic that the friends of TS Queen Mary lost Robbie when he passed away on 14th October 2022. Sad in many ways as Robbie was really looking forward to seeing the ship re-engined and sailing again.
As was typical of a such a decent and generous person, Robbie persuaded his friend, Sir Sam Neill to join the charity as co-patron.
^^ Sir Sam Neill ^^
Patron of the TS Queen Mary Charity
Sir Sam was not an obvious fit for the nautical side. Though the Commonwealth and overseas work the charity has to look towards has been perfect. But in fact Sir Sam was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, just 70 miles from the birthplace of another famous ship, the RMS Titanic…
^^ New Trustee Sir Sam Neill ^^
Has shipbuilding in his DNA
^^ New Trustee Sir Sam Neill ^^
Sam Neil is far more nautical than folk might realise.
^^ The Hunt For Red October ^^
One of Sam Neill’s nautical appearances.
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Royal Patron
HRH Princess Anne
As the Friends of TS Queen Mary charity grew, especially under to custodianship of chairman Iain Sim, one of the most remarkable events was when Her Royal Highness Princess Anne agreed to be the charity’s Royal Patron.
The Princess Royal has kindly given a lot of her time and support with incredibly detailed knowledge of the charity purpose and needs.
=> The Friends of TS Queen Mary received an additional boost of around £200,000 more in donations each year with sincere thanks to the work and efforts of a Royal Patron.
This impacted upon the ability to grow the charity from purely a static exhibit of a historic but engineless ship, within the enthusiastic collection of supporters to something they could only dream of…
=> To return TS Queen Mary to fully functional ship, sailing under her own steam.
^^ Princess Anne Aboard TS Queen Mary ^^
Photo Attribution Thanks To Martin Shields
By now, there were around 5,000 participants helping with this charity. That is also 5,000 folk enjoying being part of this classic ship community.
The Princess Royal made the announcement that the ship would sail gain under its own steam during a special visit…
^^ Princess Anne Announces Very Good News ^^
So fortune smiled again. Our founding patron was joined by a Royal Patron. One who has a great interest in lighthouses and ships, having been appointed an Admiral in the Royal Navy during 2012, the same year this charity was established by Iain and Russ.
=> Her Royal Highness Princess Anne kindly agreed to become Patron to the Friends of TS Queen Mary charity and boosted the work of Robbie and Sam. The depth of knowledge that the Princess Royal brought to the project and increased profile helped the annual charity fundraising increase from around £300,000 to approximately £500,000 per annum.
These styles of event don’t tend to be part of discussions when considering the formation of a registered charity. But they are very important to the viability of whatever it is you are seeking to achieve when establishing and operating a charity as a viable entity.
Charity Trustee Iain Sim is a Lawyer and was teaching law at the University of Glasgow when he and Russ McLean first spoke about this project in 2012. Russ had been working as a Harbourmaster and by chance had owned a Denny built ship earlier in his life: long before being part of the TS Queen Mary initiative. (The TS Queen Mary is a Denny built ship: here and here).
=> Russ will probably embarrass Iain, but he too has credentials in law (click here). Consequently, the observation by Russ McLean should hold some gravitas: Russ believed Iain would be a sheriff by now.
=> In Scotland a judge is termed “sheriff”.
=> But Iain has devoted many years and volunteered an awesome amount of time to the rescue and project manage the renovation of TS Queen Mary. Iain has done this to the sacrifice of part of his legal career.
Part of the journey:-
Firstly, here is what the TS Queen Mary looked like when we bought her…
^^ TS Queen Mary Being Towed Along The Thames ^^
^^ TS Queen Mary Being Towed Along The Thames ^^
^^ TS Queen Mary ^^
Being towed back to her original home in Glasgow and Dumbarton. The ship was in a dilapidated state and only just rescued in time by the charity as the scrapyard arrangements were being made from previous ownership matters.
The next photograph shows some of the progress that has been made restoring the TS Queen Mary by the charity…
^^ TS Queen Mary Being Renovated ^^
Both Iain and Russ were taken aback at seeing crowds gather when the ship arrived back at the Clyde (from being towed by tug half way around the UK). There were grown men: tough Glasgow + Gourock + Greenock shipyard workers and they were in tears. The ship’s return home was a memory that will live forever in the minds of the trustees.
^^ TS Queen Mary Heading Up The Clyde ^^
^^ ^^ Charity Chairman: Iain Sim ^^
^^At TS Queen Mary Drydock ^^
Charity returns as held by OSCR: The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator…
^^ Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity ^^
Source: Click Here
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One Charity At A Time!
Please note: This charity: Friends of TS Queen Mary (here) is now managed by Mr Iain Sim as the remaining founding-trustee.
=> Russ McLean sustained a TBI injury whilst on the ferry from his home island of Arran (click here) and as a result was unable to assist in charity matters during a long recovery period (full disclosure required: click here, here and here).
Iain has been incredibly kind in regularly telephoning Russ when there is news and updates.
At this time, three years after the accident, Russ is 90% recovered and back to work. But his injuries are such that there has to be a difficult choice…
=> Either one charity or another.
The first charity, Creditcure Money Advice (here) ran for 10 years and came to a natural end.
As at April 2023, the decision was made for Russ McLean to focus on the new charity #3 in an endeavour to help the staggeringly high 81% of young people in the UK currently worried about money (here).
=> As the respected money advisor, Martin Lewis advised Rishi Sunak when he (Mr Sunak) was Chancellor, Martin said: “I have run out of tools to help people save money” (and help themselves out of debt ~ click here).
So, here at this end of the keyboard, Russ McLean is of the view, especially with the 10 years deploying the same tools as Martin Lewis at the Creditcure Charity, the best way to remove this worry is to REDUCE the size of the horrendously high electricity and heating bills.
Hence we are selling off our spare buildings and constructing one of (hopefully) many community owned electricity power stations.
=> These power stations will be run by professional electricians etc.
But each cluster of 50 to 500 houses/shops who are eligible to connect to the 50% electricity tariff at each eco-power station, will happily discover that…
=> These energy generator machines are run by the community for the community.
The purpose of charity number #3 will be to ingather all the relevant information and help each community build and manage their own ecological energy sourced power station. The ideal will be to structure ownership via a mutual organisation or co-operative that ensures the local power station is owned and run by the local community.
^^ Russ McLean At Brodick Town Hall ^^
^^ 3 Days Before A Major TBI Accident ^^
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Contact
If you would like to get in touch about any aspect of this project, from the sale of our spare unique properties to the construction of the power stations, please feel free to get in touch…
Click Here
To find these pages again in a vast jungle of internet, just use the acronym…
COPGS
Short for…
Community Owned Power Generator Station.
A quick search on Google, or your preferred search-engine of the COPGS acronym will get you safely back to this website and the project to halve your energy bills.