Dale Vince

Dale Vince OBE
Born	(1961-08-29) 29 August 1961 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Residence	Stroud, Gloucestershire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Businessman
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Owner of Ecotricity, chairman of Forest Green Rovers
Spouse(s)	Kate Vince
Children	3
Website	zerocarbonista.com

Dale Vince, OBE (born 29 August 1961) is a British "green energy" industrialist. A former New Age traveller, he is the outspoken owner of the electricity company Ecotricity.

Early life and career

Vince was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, leaving school at 15. He spent time as a New Age traveller. In 1991 he saw his first windfarm ("I thought, either I can carry on by myself with the windmill on my van, or I can get into the big stuff") and in 1995 he founded the Renewable Energy Company. In 1996 he launched his first wind turbine supplying "green electricity".

Football

In 2010 he became a major shareholder of Forest Green Rovers F.C.

Three months after joining the club as a majority shareholder, Vince became the club chairman.

In February 2011, Rovers players were banned from eating red meat for health reasons, and a few weeks later the sale of all red meat products was banned at the club's football ground, leaving only vegetarian options as well as free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks.

Vince has also introduced a number of different eco-friendly developments at the club including the installation of solar panels on its New Lawn home ground, the use of a solar-powered robot grass mower, and the creation of the world's first organic football pitch.

In September 2015, Vince revealed Forest Green were using a player recruitment method similar to the 'Moneyball' model that had been initially used in baseball to sign players by using computer-generated analysis.

In October 2015, Forest Green became the world's first all vegan football club.

Honours

Vince received an OBE from the Queen for services to the environment in 2004 and in 2013 was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Gloucestershire.

Personal life

He is a vegan.

While studying, Vince met and married Kathleen Wyatt in 1981. The couple subsequently became new age travellers together, and had a son in 1983. They separated some years later, and Wyatt subsequently raised the couple's son alone. They divorced in 1992.

Divorce and financial claim court case

After Vince had made his fortune, Wyatt, who had lived what was later described in court as "16 years of real hardship", lodged a financial claim of £1.9 million against Vince in 2011, nearly 20 years after their divorce. The Court of Appeal rejected the claim, stating it had "no real prospect of success" and was an "abuse of process". However, in March 2015 the Supreme Court set aside this decision, ruling that there was no time limit in law for claims for financial provision, and the claim could progress in the High Court. Lord Wilson said the court must have regard "to the contribution of each party to the welfare of the family, including by looking after the home or caring for the family", but the claim only had a prospect of "comparatively modest success" with a £1.9 million payout "out of the question". In a statement, Vince branded the court's decision "mad": "I feel that we all have a right to move on, and not be looking over our shoulders. This could signal open season for people who had brief relationships a quarter of a century ago."

Vince is paying legal costs for both parties, of over £500,000 so far, as divorce law permits costs to be charged to the combined resources of both parties.

Politics

Vince has made donations to both the Labour Party and the Green Party. Prior to the 2015 UK general election, he was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.