Meet the judges!

Meet our panel of judges who will carefully consider the nominations for the 2026 Rural Community Business Awards

On Thursday 14 May, our judges will come together to consider the shortlisted entries and select the finalists, who will be revealed at the start of June.

We’re looking forward to celebrating our members at the Rural Community Business Awards 2026, sponsored by Lands Improvement, taking place on Thursday 2 July at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London.

Thank you to everyone who has nominated! Keep an eye out on Monday 1 June when we’ll be sharing more details about the finalists and voting.

Below, we’re pleased to introduce this year’s panel of judges, who will face the challenging task of selecting the finalists…

Kathryn Turner
Planning Director, Lands Improvement

Lands Improvement (LIH)

Kathryn joined LIH in 2009 and has held several roles during her time in the organisation, prior to shifting her primary focus to the Planning side of business.

Kathryn has a diverse background, covering Masterplanning, Regeneration, Environmental Management, Planning and Surveying. Kathryn gained her Town Planning Qualification in New Zealand and has subsequently become a Chartered Surveyor.

Kathryn leads the Planning Team; taking a strategic and holistic view across the planning and promotional portfolio to support the strategic growth of the business as well has having day to day oversight of the planning portfolio.

Kathryn has a passion for delivering well thought out, deliverable new places, facilitated through strong promotional activities and well considered planning consents.

Kathryn is currently leading on land interests at Cambridge South, a large scale Masterdeveloper opportunity in Cambridge. In support of this Kathryn is a Member of the Cambridge Ahead Economic and Housing Group.

Kathryn is also a Board Member of the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF); a Member of their Technical and Planning Committee; and was an Advisory Board Member of Public Practice between 2023 and 2025.

Kathryn has a particular interest in Diversity and Inclusivity (D&I) within the Development Sector and to this end devised and set up the D&I policies for the LPDF as well as setting up a Mentoring Scheme across the TT Group to support and foster internal talent across the Group.

Lands Improvement are sponsors of the Rural Community Business Awards 2026

Nicola Cadwallader

Cadwalladers & Co

With over 30 years’ experience in accounting including 20 years as a Partner/Director, Nicola has developed a specialism in the charity and not-for-profit sector. Her practice based in Oxfordshire provides all aspects of accounting and taxation services to a variety of clients and currently assists approximately 150 Community Businesses throughout the UK with their accounts, VAT, tax and software requirements.

Cadwalladers & Co are sponsors of the One to Watch Award

Nigel Kaye

Suma Wholefoods

Nigel has been working at Suma Wholefood for 13 years, a worker owned co-operative sourcing the most delicious and sustainable products, inspiring change for good. As with the Suma way, Nigel has worked across many different areas in the warehouse and office roles, including Sponsorship and Donations where he has been involved with Plunkett and the awards for over seven years. Prior to Suma Wholefoods Nigel worked in Marketing and Advertising for number of different companies and clients in the technical sectors such as Vodafone and Virgin Media.

Suma Wholefoods are sponsors of the Going Green Award.

Olivia Dear
Sustainability & Wates Wildscape Director

Wates Developments

Olivia is the Sustainability & Wates Wildscape Director with Wates Land & Development, the strategic land promotion arm of Wates Group. In her role, Olivia spearheads work to support the business’s ambition to be the industry leading land promoter for sustainability and placemaking. She also heads up Wates Wildscape, a business that creates habitat sites to deliver much-needed nature-based solutions to the built environment.

With nearly 15 years’ experience working in sustainability roles in the built environment, backed by a Masters in Leadership for Sustainability, Chartered Environmentalist and Member of the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), Olivia has a wealth of experience creating effective environmental and social initiatives that deliver positive outcomes.

From developing group-wide strategies and programmes to locally bespoke solutions for a new development, Olivia always looks for opportunities to help improve sustainable outcomes for the long-term. In 2018, Olivia was proud to be shortlisted as a finalist in the Environment & Sustainability category for the WICE Awards for her work in the built environment.

Wates Developments are sponsors of the Connecting the Community Award

Mike Hooper
Member Engagement Activator

Co-op

Mike has been working for Co-op since the start of 2025 and prior to that gained over twenty years experience within Local Authority governance teams across The Midlands and Cornwall. Having always thoroughly enjoyed working directly with the general public and community groups, Mike took his experience of leading community-focused bids, meetings and projects into the voluntary and community sector where he managed Boards aimed at raising the voices of disenfranchised groups, including individuals with learning disabilities, autistic adults, carers and the elderly. Now a Member Engagement Activator, he works across Cornwall to bring communities together and to raise opportunities locally for Co-op Member Owners.

Co-op are sponsors of the Keeping it Local Award.

Thank you to our sponsors of this year’s Rural Community Business Awards

The Rural Community Business Awards wouldn’t be able to take place without the kind support of our sponsors. Thanks to their generosity, Plunkett’s annual awards campaign is able to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our community business members and the dedicated individuals involved with them.

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