Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, whose Home is Chichester in West Sussex, has a new community liaison officer - this is why and what she does

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Sue Nel became Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ dedicated Community Liaison Officer (‘CLO’)earlier this year. Sue will look after Rolls-Royce’s numerous community-based activitiesand act as the first point of contact between the company and its neighbours at its global headquarters at Goodwood near Chichester. The Observer caught up with Sue to find out more about her, her new role and what she’s aiming to achieve.

Q: What does the role of Community Liaison Officer involve?

A: My role involves developing and maintaining connections with the local community – including residents, schools, charities, public authorities, Westhampnett Parish Council and other organisations. I’m the first point of contact at Rolls-Royce for any questions or concerns that people may have; I also provide accurate, up-to-date information on anything happening at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood that may affect them. I’ve

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Sue Nel is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ dedicated Community Liaison Officer. Photo: Rolls-Royce Motor CarsSue Nel is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ dedicated Community Liaison Officer. Photo: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Sue Nel is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ dedicated Community Liaison Officer. Photo: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

been with Rolls-Royce a long time, so the community can be confident that if I don’t know the answer to a query myself, I know exactly who to ask!

Q: What attracted you to the role?

A: I joined Rolls-Royce almost 16 years ago. During that time, I’ve worked in several different parts of the business, including quality control, logistics and engineering. After my husband passed away, I took on the role of receptionist and discovered how much I value interacting with different people. I realised listening, talking and building relationships was my vocation, so when the new CLO position was established, I knew it was perfect for me.

Q: What do you want to achieve as CLO?

A: To ensure that local residents are proactively informed on anything happening at Rolls-Royce. I also want to cultivate positive relationships with the local community. I want to understand what we can do as a company to support local residents, and I hope they’ll feel comfortable and confident bringing their questions and any concerns to me.

Q: What does your typical day look like?

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A: One of the real joys of my role is that every day is different. Most days I’ll spend at least some time speaking to colleagues or neighbours; I’ll also be responding to emails and other enquiries, and generally keeping an ear to the ground on what’s happening in the local area. I’m working on various community engagement projects and I’m excited to continue building on Rolls-Royce’s positive contribution over the past 20 years.

Q: Community engagement projects sound interesting. Can you give more details?

A: These include setting up a new Community Liaison Forum in conjunction with the Westhampnett Parish Council, and organising Neighbour Information Sessions at Rolls-Royce to share latest details of our planned extension with local residents.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

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A: I’m very family orientated. I’m a widow with four sons, three of whom live near me in Rustington; I also have 11 grandchildren who keep me busy. I’ve always loved connecting with people. I used to be a foster mum for troubled teenagers and keep in touch with some of them to this day. I’ve also run a youth club and trained sports educators for local schools. I suppose I just love a good chat!

Q: How can people contact you?

A: I can be emailed at http://[email protected] or contacted via 07815 246108.

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