ACRE appoints interim chief executive

Leading rural network ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) has appointed Richard Quallington as interim chief executive, its board announced this week.

Richard succeeds Janice Banks at the helm of the charity, which is the national voice for the ACRE Network of 38 rural community councils, of which Community Council for Berkshire is one of. He joins ACRE from Community First in Herefordshire & Worcestershire, a member of the ACRE Network, where he was chief executive.

Richard, who lives in Worcestershire, is a former vice chair of ACRE and past chair of Regional Action West Midlands (RAWM). A planner by training, he has many years’ experience of working with and lobbying on behalf of rural communities about affordable housing, transport, services, broadband and regeneration initiatives. 

He will steer ACRE through a restructure following a board review of the future for ACRE, which has secured £2.3m of Defra funding for its Network for 2015/16.

Richard said: “I am delighted to be joining ACRE, which has a long history of speaking up for rural communities on the national stage and of supporting its Network in making a real difference at the grassroots."

“I am very keen to work with our members to move the Network forward to find new ways in which we can help rural communities to meet the challenges they face.”