Deborah joined ACRE in 1996 as part of the 21st Century Halls for England, a Millennium Commission Project. Since 2000, she has provided the dedicated Village Hall Information & Advice Service to the ACRE Network. Her responsibilities include working with rural community councils and village hall advisers; representing ACRE and the interests of village halls at national level; and managing the Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund.

Paul joined ACRE in June 2008 as part of the Rural Infrastructure England project; an initiative financed by the Big Lottery Fund. His role within the policy team includes working with and supporting the development of the ACRE Network; contributing to ACRE’s national policy work and developing ACRE’s rural evidence base. He previously worked for a local Council for Voluntary Service as a Funding Advice Worker.

Chris joined ACRE in November 2014 from South Gloucestershire Council, where he worked as part of the Community Engagement Team for 18 months. Previously, he worked for six years at Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, where he was an accredited Social Enterprise adviser. He helped to establish the Gloucestershire Community Shops network and also worked on the successful, South West RCC-led project ‘Making a CASE (Community and Social Enterprise). Making it happen’.