Suzanne has worked for Rural Community Council of Essex for over 7 years.  Her current role includes management of the Essex Rural Partnership, and since March she has led a  working group of this Partnership that has been looking at the issue of Post Office closures.  Earlier this year Suzanne was elected to the East of England Rural Forum. 

Suzanne graduated from Writtle College with a degree in Leisure Management, having specialised in Countryside Recreation and Rural Tourism. 

After a short spell working in the Insurance industry, Suzanne pursued her intended career by joining Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) as a Field Officer in 2000 - work that included providing support to community groups undertaking Parish Plans, Village Appraisals and Village Design Statements.  In 2003 she took up the role of Community Development Manager and looked at ways of overcoming social deprivation in Essex.  From 2003-6 Suzanne managed a small grants fund that supported small-scale projects in rural areas. 

Suzanne is now Development Manager with responsibility for Partnerships, Relationships and Programmes at RCCE.  As part of this role Suzanne now manages the Essex Rural Partnership - a group of over 40 organisations that are concerned with the future of rural Essex.  The Partnership has three sub-groups, looking at social, economic and environmental issues, and a Steering Group which focusses on stratgic issues.  Earlier this year Suzanne was elected to represent the Partnership on the East of England Rural Forum. 

Suzanne is leading on a Local Area Agreement sub-group which is preparing an Action Plan for Public Engagement; she is also involved in other LAA sub-groups and has played a role in re-writing the Essex Compact.  Suzanne represents the rural interests of the county on the Thames Gateway South Essex Social Regeneration Forum. 

Suzanne is leading on a number of small projects benefitting rural Essex, which include:

• Research into Rural Business Support Needs (with a focus n rural retail)
• Remote Rural Access to essential information (with a focus on infromation abut education, training and employment opportunities)
• Playing Fields and Green Spaces Research

In her personal life, Suzanne was editor of a Village Newsletter for a number of years and served on a Parochial Church Council for over 10 years, chairing a sub-committee for part of this time.  Suzanne has lived in rural Essex all her life and has a passion for ensuring that rural communities are able to be sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms. 

http://www.essexruralpartnership.org.uk