Election of Caroline Cotterell, Sharon Davis and Andrea Graham comes as the rural communities’ charity reviews its strategy

At a busy Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 27 November, three new trustees were elected to Action with Communities in Rural England’s (ACRE) Board. Together they bring a diverse mix of experience and insights encompassing rural and environmental policy making, community empowerment, business development and farming and land management.

The new trustees replace Ivan Annibal and Louise Beaton who have both served on the charity’s board since 2017. Colleagues thanked them for the immense contribution they have made to ACRE and to rural communities more widely.

Caroline Cotterell has a career spanning over 30 years working with The Countryside Agency, Commission for Rural Communities and Natural England, supporting communities to take action to improve their quality of life and their environment.

Sharon Davis is an experienced business and communications leader who has spent her career as a consultant working with small businesses, heritage and rural organisations, educational organisations, NGOs, government departments, and local councils to champion underrepresented groups and encourage localism.

Andrea Graham has a PhD in agricultural botany and following 18 years as a research scientist, she worked for the NFU where she held various roles including Countryside Adviser, Chief Science Adviser, Chief Land Management Adviser and latterly Head of Policy, before retiring in 2022.

The election of the new trustees comes as ACRE is developing its strategy for the next five years against a backdrop of rapid change for rural communities. The new strategy will set out how ACRE will refocus its efforts to ensure it maximises its impact in response to a fast-moving policy and economic landscape. It will also define how the charity will work with and support the ACRE Network, a unique grouping of 38 organisations working with rural communities across England.

Speaking about the election of the new trustees, James Blake, Chair of ACRE said:

“We are delighted to welcome Caroline, Sharon and Andrea to the Board. Their breadth of experience, expertise and insight into the challenges facing rural communities will bring valuable new perspectives at a key strategic moment for the charity.”