Richard has managed Britain’s first rail partnership, the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, based at the University of Plymouth, since 1998. He and the Partnership have always been great enthusiasts for the community rail partnership and particularly its role as a vehicle to encourage and help CRP officers across the country to share ideas and experiences.

His ethos has always been to encourage everyone who wants to get involved with the railway and he strongly supports encouraging more station friends’ groups and CRPs and the Community Rail Network working to help them achieve what they want to at their local station as far as is possible.

Richard was awarded the MBE for services to the rail industry in the South West in the 2010 New Year’s Honours.  He is a Brentford FC season ticket holder and has supported the Bees for more than 35 years.

Jeremy has over 24 years senior level strategic commercial experience in UK rail in train operating companies and franchise bidding and running his consultancy specialising in marketing and commercial projects, largely within the rail sector. Prior to establishing his consultancy, Jeremy was Deputy Bid Director, Head of Commercial Development and Commercial bid lead for Abellio UK.

Jeremy has been active in community rail for nearly 20 years and became an Honorary Member of Community Rail Network in 2005. He has have presented widely on Community Rail and provided marketing input to the highly successful Interreg Project and run community rail seminars for the DfT on marketing.

Marion works as a rail support officer at Merseytravel and has been involved in community rail for over ten years. She has worked in transport for over 23 years.

Marion chairs two community rail partnerships, West Lancs and Borderlands line, and chair of the award-winning Women in Community Rail, a movement which is growing and gaining traction across the country. She is also a Cabinet Member at Sefton Council with responsibility for Regeneration & Skills including supporting and delivering on business growth across the borough

Ian is from a professional railway background who currently works within a local authority solving travel issues.

As Vice chairman of the Wherry Lines CRP he brings to the board a wealth of experience from his knowledge of the National Rail network and how today’s modern railway works. Ian has been involved in community railways since 1980 when he worked on the Tarka Line. His passions are branch lines and collecting historic railway documents.

Tim is an independent director and company secretary on the Sussex Community Rail Partnership board. He got into the world of railways through being a trustee of the Sussex Rural Community Council and chairing its rural transport work.

His early career was in the civil service originally following training in agriculture but much longer has been spent in a wide range of industry and trade association related roles. In later life I has reverted to agriculture with a small herd of Dexter cattle which he occasionally gets back to when the very enjoyable community rail duties allow

Heather is Manager of the Severnside Community Rail Partnership.  Having joined the Partnership in 2012, she brings operational experience from an early management career in the transport sector along with six years working in university finance a during period of significant change to the tuition fee system.

The innovative projects Heather has implemented at the Severnside Community Rail Partnership demonstrate her passion for making the rail network accessible to marginalised and vulnerable groups who experience barriers to using public transport.  Outside of work she enjoys being out of doors, follows a range of sports, and will often be found spectating at a racecourse.

Neville’s interest in Community Rail goes back to the early 2000s – whilst working for a rural charity he was involved in station adoption schemes and helped to start a new CRP.  For the past seven years as Head of Transport at Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, he has managed three CRPs, a renovated station and four road-based community transport projects.

He has been in public transport management since 1986, positions including three Directorships, a consultancy, and within local authorities. Having started and developed his own bus company, growing it to 20 vehicles, and assisted many groups to start their own community transport operations, Neville has a heart, not specifically for the transport provision itself, but rather for the difference that particularly rural and specialised transport can make to the lives of individuals

Neil has worked at a senior level in the National Health Service and the Third Sector for over thirty years in various roles and settings, gaining experience in strategic planning, organisational development, governance, risk management and finance.

He has always been passionate about improving outcomes for people, and supporting community sustainability, and also long-standing personal interest in railways and an appreciation of their importance to local communities. During his career, Neil has have worked with and served on, various boards, and representative organisations, gaining significant experience of successful partnership working and partnership development.

Outside board commitments, Neil enjoys family time, gardening, watching cricket, travel, transport and industrial heritage.