Meet the team
Find out about the Partnership's four-strong team
Richard Burningham MBE
Manager
Richard has managed the Partnership since 1998. His arrival in Plymouth followed a fifteen year career with British Rail which included spells as Travel Centre Manager at Barnstaple and a Public Relations Officer for both the Southern Region and then South West Trains (today’s South Western Railway).
Richard’s role includes the general management of the Partnership, all matters to do with finances and bids, running the Partnership’s line Stakeholder Forums and issues such as input into service developments, fares etc.
As Partnership Manager, he and the team have helped the branch lines achieve their best ever year round train service and generally their highest usage on record with, in almost all cases, usage now being higher than it was before the Pandemic.
In 2010, he was awarded the MBE for “Services to the Railway Industry in the South West."
Rebecca Catterall
Development Officer
Rebecca joined the Partnership in 2005 and her role involves fostering relationships and partnerships with communities and organisations surrounding stations.
Rebecca is also the lead on our education and art projects and is the main point of contact for our station adoption and volunteer groups.
Before joining the Partnership, Rebecca worked for the National Trust as an Education Officer and Caradon District Council as Sustainability Officer.
Mike Parker-Bray
Marketing & Communications Officer
After seven years working in the Community Forestry sector at The Mersey Forest, Mike joined the team in 2013 as part of our EU Citizens' Rail project (2012-2015). He works to promote travel on the counties' rail network and to highlight the work of the Partnership.
A key part of this has been to build up the Partnership's digital presence through our Great Scenic Railways website and social channels.
Mike also runs the official websites for the Dartmoor Line and Mid Cornwall Metro projects on behalf of the project partners.
Betsy Saunders
Social Media & Content Officer
Betsy joined the team in August 2021 and looks after the Devon & Cornwall’s Great Scenic Railways social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. She creates a wide range of content in house by planning, filming and editing posts – and supports the delivery of both national and international campaigns.
A key part of her role has been establishing and growing the Partnership’s TikTok channel and reaching a new, younger audience - showing how easy it is to explore Devon and Cornwall by train.