David Prior Author & Editor

Marian Barnes was Professor of Social Research at the University of Birmingham and Professor of Social Policy at the University of Brighton, specialising in care, mental health and studies of user involvement. She was a Mental Health Act Commissioner from 1989 to 1994. She currently volunteers at the Pilsdon Community. Mary Davies is an oral historian, having undertaken field research in a Tanzanian village and worked at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, and at Goldsmiths College, London. She has lived at the Pilsdon Community for five years as volunteer and member, and developed the project which led to this book. David Prior worked in research and policy development in local government and as a senior research fellow at the University of Birmingham, focusing on issues of citizen and community involvement in governance and public service delivery. He is currently a volunteer at the Pilsdon Community.