A better quality of life

PAUL HAZELL IS AN OFFSHORE CO-ORDINATOR FOR DONG ENERGY, PRIOR TO THAT HE WAS IN THE ARMED FORCES FOR 26 YEARS. PAUL RELOCATED TO BARTON-UPON-HUMBER, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE IN 2014 WITH HIS WIFE MICHELLE AND THEIR 14-YEAR-OLD SON BEN.

I was an Officer in the British Army until 2013 and had previously lived with my family in the Gutersloh Garrison in Germany for four years, the Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire for nine years, as well as Catterick and other places. By 2013, I wanted to find a new career which would take me to retirement while I was still in my early 40s. I was aware of the scale of the offshore wind sector within the Humber via the national media and knew my skills would be easily transferable from the armed forces to a career in this industry.

I grew up in Hull and, with most of my family still living in the area, it made sense for us to consider moving back here when I decided to leave the Army. After visiting a few different areas, we chose Barton because of its close proximity to the Humber Bridge, the open countryside around the Estuary, good local amenities, and we found a brand new build by Keigar developers.

I had no concerns about settling in as I knew the area from growing up around here and it felt great to be able to live close to my brother and sister – now we see so much more of each other. However, my wife, Michelle, had some concerns because she didn’t know anyone nearby and Ben had to leave all his school friends behind in Germany.

But as soon as we arrived we made friends via a neighbourhood watch meeting that turned into a street party. Everyone in our area is incredibly friendly. We had lived in our new house for just two days and knew the name of everyone on the street. Michelle is a fitness instructor and has made friends through working at the local leisure centres. Ben has also settled in well in Baysgarth School and is often out with his friends on their bikes after school and at the weekends.

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The cost of living here is low, and the property is great value for money. Back in Salisbury, our house would have easily cost us £80k more, so financially we are much better off. It’s great to have so much space and be surrounded by nature, and the quality of our family life has drastically improved. Having been posted in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland and Cyprus, I feel very fortunate to now be settled with my family in such a fantastic area.

It’s an exciting time to be working in the Humber region, as the investment into the renewables sector is phenomenal. I’m very proud to work for DONG Energy, as we are reviving Grimsby Docks and creating a legacy here. The promotional opportunities are vast as the development of offshore wind grows within the Humber.

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND ANYONE IN THE ARMED FORCES LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER TO APPLY FOR A CAREER IN OFFSHORE WIND, THE SKILL SETS MATCH, LIKE FOR LIKE, AND THE LEADERSHIP AND HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING IS TRANSFERABLE