Debbie Hobbs

Location: At the far end of the village, tucked away behind the old Rushton Inn

About me:  Moving here with my husband and son in March 2017 was the best decision we ever made, we haven’t looked back for even a second. Every day we say how lucky we are to be surrounded by such stunning countryside, to be able to live here. We even added to our family with 3 huge dogs and 2 cats.

Back then, although we had introduced ourselves to our immediate neighbours, covering all of 3 households, we didn’t know a soul here. Time passed and then COVID hit. The pub was shut and we became pretty isolated with all the lockdowns. Thank goodness for ‘The Link’ –  it landed in our post box with an article about the village Jubilee event.  I called Sam and she invited us to the next meeting, we were welcomed warmly and decided to join the committee, fully committed to mucking in where we could. The celebration day itself was a roaring success and brought the whole community together. A joy to see what teamwork can achieve. It was definitely a case of joining as strangers and leaving with lots of strong new friendships.

The Coronation paved the way for being a part of a group of residents, organising the village event to celebrate the occasion.

The Rushton Exchange was another village initiative we were blessed to be a part of, another success for the village.

Currently, I am involved in setting up the Rushton Community Group. Local people with a common aim and a goal to ensure that the legacy of the village spirit, built up by generations before us, continues to thrive for all our residents. We hope to bring the community together with the focus on inclusivity, enabling us all to support and learn from each other. Events and gatherings will provide opportunities to meet old and new friends for all who call Rushton and the surrounding areas, home. We hope fundraising at these get-togethers and forming a 200 club,  will allow us to use the monies raised to benefit our community, our village school and our historic church.

I have a genuine interest in not only the present, but the future of Rushton Spencer. The Jubilee reinforced my desire to become a firm and useful member of its community in whatever way I can, and I became a parish councillor in 2022.

If I can be of any help to you, please contact me via info@rushtonspencerparishcouncil.co.uk or 07905741430.