Initially Rachel qualified as a General Practice Chartered Surveyor working in insolvency then for the HEFCE government quango and for many years was an active member of the Bristol Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 2000, after travelling round the world, Rachel worked as the Development Manager for what grew into a £5.4m new build, multi partnership, financially sustainable community facility; The Withywood Centre, on an outlying housing estate in south west Bristol with high levels of deprivation. Since then she worked as CEO of the £4.8m Heritage Lottery funded Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust development during the restoration period, establishing the Cemetery as a visitor site and developing social enterprises in cemetery services, visitor facilities, heritage, wildlife and education.  She was then appointed to be CEO of Community Ignite (CVS South Gloucestershire) providing infrastructure support to the community sector and a volunteering brokerage service across south South Gloucestershire, community lead group providing resident support services for the Kingswood Priority Neighbourhoods.