I’m writing these words sitting in my grandparents’ old house at Petit Port – now home to me and my family. I’m the third generation of “Renouf” to live here, and this little corner of St Brelade feels like home in a very profound way.
I’m a proud husband to Kate, and father to two boys – one at Mont Nicolle, one at Les Quennevais. I spend a good portion of my time battling with the problems most parents face: how much screentime to allow the boys, remembering the schedule of activities for which chauffeuring duties are required, and dreaming of a weekend break with my wife. I think I have a pretty good handle on the day to day issues facing families today – that’s one reason I got so involved in the campaign to build a new skatepark at Les Quennevais.
But let’s wind the story back a bit…
As a boy, I went to school at La Moye and Les Quennevais, before transferring to Hautlieu. Then I went to Durham University, where I did a degree and PhD in Geography.
From there I moved into television.
I spent almost 30 years working as a TV producer at the BBC, beginning on Newsnight, before moving on to make science documentaries such as David Attenborough’s Climate Change – the Facts, The Sky at Night and Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe. I won numerous awards and was nominated for a BAFTA four times.
I had a lot of fun, I got to travel the world and see amazing things, but the cliché is true: the best bit was working with talented people. Looking back, the thing of which I’m most proud is that I learnt how to harness the talents of a team to work towards a shared goal. I learnt when to give ground, and when to stand my ground. I learnt to be creatively ambitious but within realistic boundaries.
My reputation was for delivery: my projects were high quality, on schedule and to budget.
Creativity, collaboration and a common purpose are the bedrock of all great projects – and not just in television. I think these are skills that can also be applied to the business of politics.
Whilst working in the UK I stayed involved in Jersey. I sat on the 2012 Electoral Commission. I wrote a column for the JEP. I fought various planning applications that involved overdevelopment of coastal and countryside locations.
Then in 2019, I returned with my family to settle here for good. Since I’ve been back I’ve dived deeper into parish and island life. As well as campaigning for the new skate park at Les Quennevais, I’m a member of the parish climate change group. I’ve continued to fight against inappropriate overdevelopment, such as the flats at Fair Acre on Route Orange. I’ve given public lectures about climate change, I organised a “deep time walk” for Jersey Heritage, and I sit on the council of the National Trust for Jersey.
This election gives me an opportunity to build on those experiences, and really put my money where my mouth is. I’d like to give something back to Jersey – the island that has made me what I am – to help create better lives for us and for future generations; to make a real, positive difference to the community. It would be a privilege to be voted in to the States to represent you.
If you like what you see (or even if you don’t!) and have any questions, do get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
Let’s build something together.
PS If you want to find out even more about me, my personal blog is at jonathanrenouf.wordpress.com
Jonathan Renouf 