MIKE Slater, of Beckermet, is the Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership’s Farming Lead.
His role will be to feed information back to the farming community from the GDF process and about Community Partnership work, facilitate discussions and encourage two-way communication.
Mike grew up in Middletown, Lowside Quarter. He then lived at Thornhill for 15 years before moving to Beckermet 12 years ago.
From a farming family, Mike has had a small-holding in Beckermet for about 20 years where he has pedigree beef cattle as well as some continental cross sheep.
Mike Slater, Farming Lead, pictured right, at a Mid Copeland event
He was an active member of the Young Farmers from an early age and has built up a lot of contacts in the farming community.
Leaving school at 16 years old, Mike took an apprenticeship at Sellafield where he has worked for 40 years. He served his time as a plumber, then became a lead-burner before becoming a process worker 20 years ago.
“I would like to think that I’m approachable for anyone to contact me if they have a question,” said Mike. “I’m also a shop steward and safety rep at work and therefore I understand the importance of confidentiality.”
Mike’s work includes being involved in the storage of material ready for final disposal in a GDF.
“I’m comfortable with nuclear power and nuclear waste as I have been brought up with it and worked with it but I am never blasé about it,” said Mike, whose grandparents’ farm is in Beckermet.
“I wanted to become involved with the Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership as I’ve lived here all my life and I wanted to know what was going on at an early stage. So far, I have found people to be really open and I am happy to be a part of this process.”