Maria joined our team very recently as our Project Development Officer, initially working alongside Kate on Rural Hubs – 21st Century Village Halls project. Read below to get to know Maria at a bit more and look out for her out and about in Berkshire soon!

Welcome to the team Maria. Can you tell us what made you interested in the role of Project development Officer at CCB?

I really enjoy working with volunteers to help them improve their neighbourhoods and communities and this is something I did in my previous role in Sheffield.  I also enjoy doing research and problem-solving, and the role of Project Development Officer seemed to encompass all of these things and more. In addition, the opportunity to work in rural areas, rather than in urban areas, was really appealing and different from much of what I have done previously.

What are you hoping to achieve in your first six months in the post?

In the first six months of this five-year project, I am looking forward to getting to know Berkshire and the people who live here better.  Through conversations with people who use and manage rural community halls and through looking at the hall audits we are completing, I hope to get a better understanding of people’s priorities and the needs of rural communities, and of how I can support committees to achieve their ambitions for their halls.

You recently attended the West Berkshire Health & Wellbeing conference. What do you do to look after your wellbeing & health?

I find working in my garden helps to relieve stress, and I like to spend time in natural environments whenever I can, experiencing the weather and observing nature.  I’m on the go a lot, so I try to make time to put my feet up and relax. Usually, when I do this my children take the opportunity to sit on me, which is not so relaxing!

What’s something that you saw recently that made you smile?

My friend sent me a photo today of an amusingly shaped vegetable, which did make me laugh! My 3-year-old son is asking me where everything grows at the moment, from oranges to yoghurt, to cream crackers. This is really making me smile.