Rachel is the Chief Executive Officer of Age Connects Morgannwg – a position she has held since 2005. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Age Connects Wales, a registered charity that works across Wales via national partnership projects and services. In 2017, she was elected as the National Third Sector Representative to the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Partnership Board (CTM RPB), becoming chair in May 2018 and being re-elected as chair for a third year in May 2020.    In April 2024, Rachel was appointed as an Independent Member (Community) to the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. 

Rachel began her third sector career in 1995, when she joined the Care & Repair movement – first as an employee of a local agency, then as a board member of Care & Repair Cymru until she stood down as chair in 2018. In 2014, Rachel led Age Connects Morgannwg to deliver a Community Asset Transfer Project that transformed a council-owned older people’s day centre into a vibrant Community Hub in Aberdare.   Attracting over £3m of investment from a range of sources, Cynon Linc now offers community meeting space, stay and play space for babies and pre-school age toddlers, a GP practice, a bistro and coffee shop, an Info Hub and the charity’s headquarters.   

Of this achievement, Rachel says “Cynon Linc is testament to what can be achieved when people share and believe in a vision for change.  It is incredibly rewarding to see the difference the Hub is making, in bringing people of all ages, abilities and interests together, under one roof.  The vibe is just so positive and everyone who visits comments on how warm and friendly the place feels.  We wanted to make Cynon Linc a place for everyone - we’ve achieved that and more.” 

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her grand-children and family, cooking, reading, watching rugby and travelling.

Her favourite quote is: “In order to succeed, we must first believe we can…”, followed by “We’re gonna need a bigger boat”!