Forerunner entities to ACRE which supported rural development initiatives in England Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) became an independent charity in 1987 but it was preceded by several other organisations and entities ACRE’s antecedents have a longer history, considered in detail in Reaping A Community Harvest. The first of the rural community councils (RCCs) set up in Oxfordshire in 1920 had the support of (and initially was housed in the same building as) the (then) National Council for Social Service (NCSS). This was set up in 1919, drawing from the earlier ‘Leagues of H ..read more

ACRE statement on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Draft Bill Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is aware of stories being reported in the media that suggest village halls may face closure due to proposed legislation being referred to as ‘Martyn’s Law’. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Draft Bill is being referred to in this way after Martyn Hett, a victim of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. It is a response to criticism that authorities were not prepared enough to respond to the terrible incident. The Draft Bill could place a requirement on ..read more

Energy help for village halls shortlisted for prestigious Business Charity Award An initiative between Utility Aid and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) which has sought to understand and address the energy concerns of England’s 10,000+ village halls has been recognised as an outstanding project where a business has worked with a charity to help it’s end beneficiaries.     Energy prices have soared over the past year creating significant financial pressures on many organisations, not least the humble village hall. These are buildings run almost entirely by volun ..read more

Chronic increase of ‘hidden’ homelessness in the countryside fuelled by cost-of-living crisis, ground-breaking report shows A year-long study exposes a surge in rural rough sleeping since the pandemic has been worsened by the cost-of-living crisis. The countryside is battling a ‘hidden homelessness’ crisis driven by soaring housing costs and a gaping shortfall in local authority funding, a new report shows. The true scale of the crisis is likely to be far higher than the official statistics. The year-long study, which included a survey of 157 frontline support workers, service providers, NG ..read more

An update on the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund (Stage One) The fund will re-open for Stage One applications on 20 February 2023 The Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund has proved popular with hundreds of applications being received. All Stage One submissions made to date have been carefully considered by ACRE and we have written to committees letting them know whether or not their proposal is eligible for funding and can progress to Stage 2 of the application process. Village hall committees that haven’t yet submitted a Stage One application, can still do so. We will be reopening the ..read more

England’s 10,000+ village halls to be recognised for providing warm, welcoming, and inclusive spaces Village Halls Week 2023 will celebrate the many ways these volunteer-run rural community buildings support local residents, groups and businesses, particularly during difficult times. As the country endures a cost-of-living crisis, rural communities have come to rely on the humble village hall as a place to keep warm, access basic services and socialise without the expense of travelling elsewhere. The national campaign week will be an opportunity for halls to showcase what they are doing for ..read more

Grant fund opens to support vital improvement works to village halls Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is managing the £3 million fund being made available by government to help restore and modernise rural community buildings across England. Village halls across England are today (20 December) able to apply to the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund for grants to improve buildings and facilities. Announced by Defra to mark the occasion of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022, the fund recognises the important role that village halls play in suppor ..read more

Rural Coalition: Letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak The Rural Coalition, wrote to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak on 26 October highlighting the role that rural communities can play in contributing to the country’s future success. The Rural Coalition believes that there are some key actions which are fundamental to enabling real and positive growth and social change in rural England. Broadly, these are as follows: Making rural proofing a reality and embedding it across Government Introducing a fairer funding regime addressing the disparities between urban and rural areas Achieving an ap ..read more

Rural Coalition: Letter to Therese Coffey, Secretary of State Defra The Rural Coalition, wrote to the new Secretary of State, Therese Coffey at Defra on 28 October welcoming her to her new role and outlining our key priorities. During the summer we raised a set of key questions which we believe need to be addressed to tackle some of the underlying and historical issues which prevent rural areas in England from realising their full potential and contributing even more to the economic and social wellbeing of the nation. More recently, as a positive contribution to the debate, we set out what ..read more

Rural Coalition: Letter to Secretary of State Defra The Rural Coalition, wrote to the new Secretary of State at Defra on 16 September welcoming him to his new role and outlining our key priorities. One of our key priorities is helping the Department to ensure effective rural proofing across government and that the rural voice is heard by your Cabinet colleagues and their Departments and built in to policies and their implementation at the start of the process.  As part of this, during the recent leadership election, we identified a series of questions to be addressed on the key issues ..read more