Who are GDFWatch?

Executive Director:    Roy Payne

Roy has over 30 years experience in the public, private and third sectors running campaigns on complex and often contentious issues .  Most recently he was an adviser to RWM and the Government on developing appropriate approaches to communications and stakeholder/community engagement for the Geological Disposal programme.

He started out as a community activist working on both sides of the divided community in Northern Ireland during the Troubles — this experience, as an English civilian on the back streets of Belfast, laid the foundation for his ability to build bridges and trust. Over the subsequent 30 years Roy has worked inside and around Central and Devolved Governments, running a wide range of public information, consumer, business, regulatory and political campaigns for many different commercial, public and third sector clients.

As Roy learned more about geological disposal and the long-term management of radioactive waste, he became convinced of the environmental and ethical necessity of removing waste from the surface, but felt there was a need for greater public participation in the process, and for more active citizen scrutiny of the Government’s plans and how they are implemented by the delivery body, RWM.

You can learn more about Roy at his LinkedIn profile.