Our Story

Our team has formed to use our combined areas of knowledge and expertise to contribute to making the world a better place for generations to come.

We started working together in 2021, with a mission to facilitate a move in the UK construction industry towards Circular Economy practice as standard.

We act as an independent body to pilot ways in which to move materials away from being unnecessarily sent through down-cycling routes and landfill, involving our local communities to cement real change. Our ultimate aim is to see all building materials reused at the end of a building’s life, and all materials put into new building to be re-usable.

Our current phase sees us pilot ways to facilitate reducing construction waste generated through surplus materials by diverting it to shops and community projects, whilst supporting a growing interest in reuse through workshops and information sharing.

We are driven by our values of sustainability, facilitation, inclusiveness and proactivity.

Emma

Emma has worked most of her career in the construction industry. She is Managing Director for Story Contracting’s Construction division and Chairs Cumbria LEPs Construction sector panel. She is also interested in local economic development; she Chairs Carlisle’s Town Deal Board and is on the Borderlands Economic Forum. She is energetic, passionate and full of ideas (too many ideas!). She also gets things done. And she cares deeply about sustainability and being a force for good.

Maisie

Maisie loves spreadsheets and to do lists and is utterly content that she gets to use both extensively working with Rebuild. She sings loudly, cooks ‘creatively’ and gardens enthusiastically. At the weekend you can find her up a hill, tending her beehives or masterplanning the next adventure with her collie Fast Geoff. Maisie has managed an extensive range of projects for third sector organisations both in her home county of Cumbria as well as further afield in London, Devon, Nigeria and Tanzania. She is determined to leave the world a better place than when she entered it. Her current plan to do this is fuelled by copious amounts of tea.

Mark

Mark is our Non-exec Director and chief critical friend. Currently Managing Director of H&H Land and Estates, Mark brings a wealth of experience from a distinguished Cumbrian career previously working for Sellafield, and more recently with BAE Systems and as Head of Strategy and Policy for Cumbria LEP. Mark is a down to earth Barrovian who runs on default positive, seeing the best in people and supporting everyone to reach their potential. He is on his second round of Wainwright bagging, this time with his dog Woody.

Debbie

Debbie is somewhat of a Circular Economy geek. This is fuelled by the belief that creating a CircularEconomy is part of the solution to get us humans out of the mess we have made, and are continuing to make, of the planet. We have spent too long chasing profits at all costs, losing sight of how crucial it is to equally balance profit, people and the planet. However, she has faith (most of the time) that we can work together to make a difference and turn things around.

Debbie spent a good proportion of her career in marketing and business development. Her interest in sustainability and more recently the circular economy began whilst working in the built environment sector, culminating in undertaking a PG Cert in Innovation, Enterprise and the Circular Economy. Increasing involvement with the CE agenda over a number of years through work and being co-organiser of the local chapter of the Circular Economy Club resulted in Debbie establishing Cirklo Consult to focus on circular economy related training, education and advisory projects.

Helen

Helen, our fantastic Shop Manager, joined Rebuild in August 2022. With a background in retail, Helen brings an infectious positive outlook to the team, and is the driving force behind shop operations. She takes a pride in customer service and is often seen welcoming everyone who visits the shop, encouraging our volunteers to reach their potential, or whizzing around the depot on our forklift with a big grin on her face.

Sarah

Sarah is our admin apprentice; she has a passion for creativity and sustainability and loves to get stuck into any projects she is faced with. She has a short background in Media Production as she studied it at Carlisle College before joining the team.

OUR ETHOS

Our vision is to contribute proactively and practically to the creation of a genuinely sustainable construction industry, one that generates zero avoidable waste and zero pollution, and delivers social, environmental and biodiversity net gain.

We are enabling, inclusive, proactive and sustainable.