A HIGHLY respected business owner is using his vast experience and expertise to benefit his local harbour town.
Community-spirited businessman Mark Telford, who founded innovative solutions company Forth more than two decades ago, has been appointed to the board of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners (WHC).
WHC is a not-for-profit organisation which manages and maintains Whitehaven Harbour and its surroundings with the goal of helping to improve the area and promote it as a unique place to live and work.
Mark and his team at Forth are passionate supporters of communities across Cumbria and were instrumental in recently relighting Whitehaven’s iconic Wave landmark on the harbour by donating time, equipment and expertise to produce an environmentally-friendly, resilient and cost-effective solution to light up the attraction.
“The team at Forth are always keen to assist the towns and villages where we live and work, and I can bring a lot of experience and practical skills to the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners board to help regenerate the town,” said Mark.
“Local people really wanted to see the Wave lit up again after being dark for more than six years and, when WHC asked if Forth could come up with a working solution, I made it my personal mission to ensure that the lights returned bigger and brighter, making the town more appealing to residents and visitors alike.
“I’m somebody who gets things done, and my plan through my role on the WHC board is to keep doing good for the community and regenerating the area using my business expertise, network of contacts, engineering skills and knowledge, and my desire to improve the local community.”
Mark has been appointed into the voluntary role of a WHC board member along with Adam Pearson, co-founder and director of Adamedia, a West Cumbrian SME delivering video marketing and digital communications services, and Harry Berkeley, a young Cumbrian entrepreneur with a wealth of digital and e-commerce experience.
Deanne Shallcross, Chief Executive of WHC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Mark onto the board along with Adam and Harry. All three bring with them a different set of skills and experiences which will be an enormous benefit to the organisation and the community in general.
“Mark has demonstrated through the continued success of Forth that he is somebody with a real drive to get things done for the benefit of the areas he works in, and having somebody with his practical and technical expertise will be a huge asset to WHC as we strive to maintain and improve the harbour and wider area.”
