Francis spent his working life in Somerset where he was employed by the Environment Agency and its predecessors working in fisheries, conservation and recreation. He is an amateur arachnologist who has been a BAS member since 1969 when he was a teenager. He has served on Council since 1984 when he was elected as an ordinary member. From 1987 until 1997 he was the Meetings Secretary (formerly Asst. Sec.). He served as an ordinary member from 1997-2000 and from 2004-2007. Since 2008 he has been the Society's Sales Manager. Since the launch of the Spider Recording Scheme in 1987 he has been the Area Organiser for Somerset. In Her Majesty the Queen's 90th birthday honours he was awarded the BEM for public and voluntary services to the natural environment in Somerset.