Meet the team

ACRE’s highly knowledgeable and experienced team is based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Find out more about them below.

Corinne Pluchino

Chief Executive

Corinne joined ACRE in 2024. She has over 25 years experience of campaigning, communications and bringing coalitions together to deliver change. After beginning her career as a researcher in the House of Commons and local government, she spent 15 years in the commercial sector advising organisations on public affairs and communications. She then joined the third sector where she has held several roles, most recently as Chief Executive at Campaign for National Parks and Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at WWT, the charity for wetlands and wildlife. Corinne has worked on many issues impacting rural communities, from healthcare, transport and development to agricultural transition and nature restoration. She is a former Trustee of CPRE, the countryside charity.

Deborah Clarke

Rural Evidence & Village Halls Manager

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 village hall advisers; representing ACRE and the interests of village halls at national level; and managing the Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund.

Paul Dixon

Rural Evidence Manager

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.

Alison Letts

RHE Programme Manager

Alison joined ACRE in December 2023 to manage the National Rural Housing Enabler Programme financed by DEFRA. Her role is to lead on the day-to-day project management, monitor performance and develop relationships, and to give advice and guidance to ACRE member Rural Housing Enablers, and other stakeholders. Alison has worked for many years in Housing, both in the residential property market for Agents, Developers & Housing Associations and on innovative housing projects for Charities in Oxford and London.

Gillian Poole

Finance Manager

I’ve been an accountant for over 25 years (far too long), having worked in large corporate organisations and now specialising in the charity sector.  My aim is to make finance less scary and more interesting for all – admittedly some parts can be very dull!  In my spare time I’m also the treasurer for Shipston Link which is a rural community bus transport scheme run by volunteers and I’m a fully trained Midas minibus driver.

Max Banfield

RHE Programme Manager

Max joined ACRE in May 2025 as Programme Manager for the National Rural Housing Enabler Programme financed by DEFRA. He leads on day-to-day project management, performance monitoring and the development of relationships inside and outside of the Acre network, providing support and guidance to Rural Housing Enablers within the scheme.

His previous work in the charity sector centred around support for those affected by imprisonment, having held roles in operational management and later specialising in monitoring, research and evaluation.

Patrick Mahon

Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Patrick joined ACRE in June 2025. He has over thirty years’ experience in policy and public affairs. He started his career as a civil servant at what is now Defra, then worked for a trade association, influencing central government for the financial services sector. He has spent most of the last twenty years working on policy and public affairs for UK and global environmental charities, engaging closely with civil servants, parliamentarians, ministers and other stakeholders.

He has a Master’s degree in environmental policy, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, and was formerly a parish councillor. In his spare time, he writes and paints.

Katherine Armstrong

Director of Delivery

Katherine joined ACRE in September 2025, having spent most of her career working in ACRE Network member organisations. Katherine spent nearly 20 years working in Somerset (at Thrive) in a range of delivery and management roles, including 5 years as CEO, before taking a career break to spend time with family and subsequently returning to the community development team.

Her new role as Director of Delivery includes managing the team who run the Defra Local Action Grant, Rural Housing Enabler Programme and the Village Halls information service. In addition, the role looks at Network Development opportunities and new ways of working collaboratively across the ACRE Network.

In her spare time Katherine loves spending time with family, and is also Chair of Governors for her son’s Primary School.

Elisa Mirfin

Executive Assistant

Elisa joined ACRE in 2025, bringing with her a wealth of experience in administration. As Executive Assistant, she plays a pivotal role in supporting the leadership team and ACRE’s Board in ensuring the smooth coordination of operations across the organisation. Elisa has previously worked with another networking organisation, where she honed her skills in stakeholder engagement, event coordination, and executive support. With qualifications in law and accountancy, her background also includes a variety of practice management roles, giving her a strong foundation in administrative leadership, process improvement, and team collaboration. Elisa is known for her proactive approach, attention to detail, and commitment to fostering efficient and inclusive working environments. And for baking cake. Lots of cake.