Rural Advocacy, Policy and Research
Advocacy: Rural Voice
Action in rural Sussex operates as the champion of rural communities across East and West Sussex. It operates as an advocate for rural communities and seeks to influence those in the public, private and voluntary sectors in order to ensure that a high quality of life is maintained for all those living in rural Sussex.
A particular focus is placed on highlighting those issues which affect those at particular risk of exclusion or who find it difficult to make their own voice heard. This is achieved through the organisations membership of many partnerships and representative bodies which allows evidence and information generated by the organisation to be presented and arguments made.
In order to fulfil its role as an advocate for rural areas, Action in rural Sussex is a member of the Rural Community Action Network run by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). Strong links also exist with the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) and the South East Rural Community Councils (SERCC).
Policy: Development & Analysis
Ensuring that the development and delivery of policy does not adversely affect those living in rural areas of Sussex is a key area of work undertaken by Action in rural Sussex. The organisation contributes to government and local authority consultations and works with stakeholders in order to ensure that rural communities and their needs are considered by decision-makers.
A key component of this work is providing 'rural proofing' training and guidance to other organisations or actually undertaking the rural proofing function on their behalf.
Research & Consultancy
The advocacy and policy work of Action in rural Sussex is supported by undertaking research into rural issues, both as part of its core function and on a consultancy basis to interested bodies. Indeed the organisation has a long track record of involvement in planning and conducting research. Undertaking research projects in this ways provides AirS with data and evidence on the current status of rural Sussex, which may then be used to support better decision-making and improve project delivery.
Action in rural Sussex has a wide range of expertise in undertaking consultancy with a particular emphasis on research, project evaluation, meeting facilitation, questionnaire and survey design, focus groups and data analysis.
Meet the team
Emma Drew
Emma Drew studied English at Cambridge and began her career in the book trade. She has twenty years management experience in the creative and cultural sector, and in recent years has worked independently as a business adviser in commercial, public and voluntary sector environments (sometimes simultaneously).
During five years as a funding officer at the Arts Council, Emma developed a range of initiatives to maximise the value of public investment, actively diversified the client portfolio and effectively steered complex multi-partner projects in a variety of contexts. She has edited various books and research reports, and worked internationally in book marketing. In 2009-10, Emma was an adviser and mentor on a regional pilot project with Business Link.
Emma has research experience in both professional and academic contexts, for instance in the impact of policy on voluntary sector enterprises and in the career development needs of diverse women leaders in a variety of organisations. She was commissioned by Creative & Cultural Skills to write several think pieces on leadership and diversity.She has been a parish councillor in a rural community and the founding chair of two community groups.
Contact Emma - Tel: (01273) 405886 Email: Emma.Drew@ruralsussex.org.uk
Teresa Gittins
Teresa Gittins is currently Head of Strategy and Communications at Action in rural Sussex (AirS). She trained as a planner and worked in Local Government for 6 years as a planner and economic development officer before her first career change to be a lecturer at the University of Brighton and a parish clerk for a few years. She joined AirS in 1990 as one of the first Rural Housing Enablers in the country and has held various posts and responsibilities in AirS since then. Teresa was also a founding director of Action for Market Towns (AMT) when it was set up as the national voice for market towns in the 1990s. She stood down from this appointment last year. Her current responsibilities within AirS include external publications and communications, rural strategy and policy both internal and external, research and development, partnership working and business development.
Contact Teresa - Tel: (01273) 405442 Email: Teresa.Gittins@ruralsussex.org.uk
Simon Kiley
Simon Kiley is a Research and Policy Officer at Action in rural Sussex, a post he has occupied since 2006. His primary responsibilities orientate around identifying and evaluating the impacts of public policy on rural communities both within Sussex and further afield. Much of his work focuses on the gathering of evidence and data, developing new research projects and undertaking various types of analyses on a consultancy basis. His background is in social and political geography having studied and taught at the University of Sussex and Kingston University.
Projects have been undertaken on behalf of GOSE, SEEDA, the Rural Forum for the South East as well as numerous local authorities and communities. Research has been conducted on a wide range of issues including affordable housing, transport policy, health commissioning, sustainable development and community planning. A particular interest surrounds the use of rural evidence and data in decision-making.
Contact Simon - Tel: (01273) 405451 Email: Simon.Kiley@ruralsussex.org.uk
Su Mitchell
Su Mitchell has been Partnership Manager since 2008, having joined AirS as a Senior Development Officer in January 2004. She is a trained teacher with postgraduate qualifications in lifelong learning and the management of voluntary organisations.Su is responsible for the development and support of a number of partnerships of which AirS is the Accountable Partner and is also represents AirS in several key regional partnerships. Her roles involve the management of several partnership projects, including financial administration and management.
As a member of the AirS management group, She has been involved in organisational development and policy setting, in particular the creation of a Partnership Working Policy, and is chair of the Equal Ops Monitoring Group.Su has had experience of working with a large network of partners, including a wide range of funding agencies and organisations.
Contact Su - Tel: (01273) 405442 Email: Su.Mitchell@ruralsussex.org.uk
Renate Ruether-Greaves
Renate Ruether-Greaves has worked as the East Sussex ChangeUp coordinator at Airs since April 2009. This work supports the improvement of voluntary and community sector (VCS) infrastructure.
Before that, Renate worked in urban regeneration and local economic development, both in the UK and abroad for 20 years. She is a founder member of the European Network for European Self-help in 1992 in Berlin with 61 European networking members. She has strong interests in community mediation and worked as a volunteer caseworker for Conflict and Change in the London Borough of Newham for 5 years as well as being a member of the finance and management committee.
She studied Science, Technology and Society at University of Middlesex and researched ‘Alternative Employment and Training Projects in Berlin’ with focus of developing socially useful and environmental projects at the Open University.
Contact Renate - Tel: (01273) 405446 Email: Renate.Greaves@ruralsussex.org.uk
Tom Warder
Tom Warder is currently the Senior Housing Development Officer at Action in rural Sussex where he has been undertaking rural housing enabling work since 2006; supporting rural communities in Sussex to identify and meet their affordable housing needs and working with a range of stakeholders to this effect.
Tom trained as a youth and community worker in Bristol before moving to Sussex where he held another youth work post (Horsham) before becoming a community development worker working for both Brighton and Hove City Council and The Trust for Developing Communities, which included working with local community researchers to produce two Neighborhood Action Plans.
Tom studied History and Geography at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Contact Tom - Tel: (01273) 479008 Email: Tom.Warder@ruralsussex.org.uk
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