Thank You to All Our Members Who Attended CCB’s AGM and Charity Risk Workshop

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We’re thrilled to say that, for the first time ever, we realised we should have booked a bigger space for our AGM in January!

The turnout was fantastic, and despite the packed room, the sun was shining, the company was great, and your good humor made it an enjoyable and productive event—everyone was literally rubbing along happily shoulder to shoulder!

The session saw impressive attendance, with 37 delegates from across Berkshire.

A big thank you to the Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service for delivering an excellent, in-depth presentation on Fire Safety in Community Buildings. The session covered essential topics, including:

  • How to assess and mitigate fire risks (fire officers will expect to see this in the event of an incident).
  • The importance of regularly checking fire safety equipment (again, fire officers will expect to see this).
  • When and how to conduct safety checks (in case of an incident, fire officers will expect to see this).
  • Best practices for evacuation procedures.

Following this, Kate Meads and David Jennings led a highly interactive group work session focusing on other Charity Risks, including:

  • People
  • Law & Governance
  • Money
  • Property
  • Reputation

Thank you again to all who attended and contributed and a big thanks to West Berkshire Council Adult Community Learning who supported this session. We look forward to more insightful sessions with you all in the future!

21st Century Community Halls Project Update

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As we enter the third year of the 21st Century Community Halls Project, we are pleased to share the progress we’ve made. It’s been a busy and productive period, and we are excited about the work ahead.

Consultations and Reports
We’ve completed consultations and reports with several halls, including Hampstead Norreys, Leckhampstead, Holyport, and Hampstead Marshall, bringing the total number of consultations to 55. If your hall would benefit from a consultation or follow-up meeting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with David.Jennings@ccberks.org.uk

New Partnership with NICRE
We’ve partnered with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) to enhance the project. We’re currently in the setup phase, working on an impact measurement framework, establishing ways of working, and planning for wider stakeholder engagement.

Training and Support for Halls
We continue to offer training sessions tailored to support halls in developing and executing action plans. After attending training in 2024, many halls are now working on their business plans to ensure long-term sustainability, apply for grants, and maintain a vibrant future.

What to Expect from a Consultation
Each consultation involves a detailed visit to your hall, during which we review over 120 questions across seven key areas:

  • The Building and the Organisation
  • Sustainability
  • Environment
  • The Fabric of the Building
  • Energy
  • Accessibility

Following the review, we provide a comprehensive report and a pack of supporting materials for your hall’s management team. After considering the findings, we ask trustees to draw up an action plan focused on the key areas to address. The CCB team is here to assist with advice and guidance to help turn these plans into successful projects.

If your hall hasn’t yet had a consultation, please reach out to schedule one. Thanks to the generous support of The National Lottery Community Fund, this service is FREE.

We look forward to supporting your hall’s journey towards a brighter future!

Village and Community Halls: Your Essential Guide to Building Surveys

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Volunteers managing over 10,000 rural community halls across England are now receiving expert guidance to help them commission the right type of building survey.

This valuable resource was developed by ACTion with Communities in Cumbria, who, through their work with rural halls across the region, discovered a gap in knowledge among funders, surveyors, and village hall committees. There was often confusion around the specifics of what’s required when commissioning and carrying out surveys on village halls and similar community spaces.

The guide has been expertly crafted by Ben Stagg, Director of Stagg Architects, who also authored ACRE’s Net Zero Design Guide in 2024.

The comprehensive guidance takes hall committees step-by-step through the process of obtaining a building survey, explaining the various types of surveys available, and offering advice on how to engage with a surveyor. A dedicated section for surveyors provides useful insights that committees can share when commissioning their own surveys. There’s also an in-depth chapter focusing on energy surveys, ensuring your hall can be both sustainable and efficient.

Why Surveys Matter

Surveys play a crucial role in maintaining the condition of your hall and ensuring that any alterations or improvements are both appropriate and beneficial. They not only provide an accurate description of the current state of the building but also help identify areas for improvement and assess potential recommendations for future work.

Julie Minns, Member of Parliament for Carlisle and North Cumbria, commented:

“This guide is absolutely invaluable. Community buildings are essential hubs for local people across the country, and particularly so in rural areas where isolation—both social and geographical—can be a significant challenge. The diverse range of activities taking place in community centres across North Cumbria demonstrates just how crucial resources like this guide from ACRE are.”

Support from the National Lottery Community Fund

The guide has been made possible thanks to the support of the National Lottery Community Fund, through their Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria Community Places initiative. The Fund has long been committed to supporting projects that enhance local community spaces.

The National Lottery Community Fund provides grants to hundreds of village halls each year. Duncan Nicholson, Regional Head of Funding for the North East and Cumbria, said:

“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, we’re able to support the vital and innovative work carried out by projects like this. Communities across Northumberland, Durham, and Cumbria will continue to benefit from well-maintained, accessible community venues that are not only fit for purpose today, but are also safeguarded for future generations.”

Download the Guide

To access the full guide, click here.

Championing Affordable Rural Housing: A Vital Debate in Westminster

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A highly informative, engaging, and important debate took place in Westminster Hall this week, led by Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP, Olivia Bailey, on the critical issue of affordable rural housing provision.

Olivia spoke passionately about the challenges our rural communities face and the urgent need to support appropriate development that truly is affordable and meets local needs. She also highlighted the invaluable work of our Rural Housing Enabler (RHE), Maria, with the village of Beenham, stating:

“The role of rural housing enablers is crucial in delivering affordable housing. I consider Connecting Communities in Berkshire to be the gold standard. The team works in partnership with developers, landowners, local authorities, parish councils, and local people to build truly affordable homes on rural exception sites. Currently, they are working in Beenham to identify housing needs and suitable land, in collaboration with the parish council and the local community.”

You can view a highlight video below for more insight.

It was also encouraging to hear the Minister, Matthew Pennycook, recognise the vital role of Rural Housing Enablers and affirm his commitment to better supporting Rural Exception Sites as a policy driver for delivering affordable homes.

Our RHE, Maria Kelly, commented, “It’s fantastic to have our work with rural parishes highlighted. We hope Olivia’s speech will encourage other parish councils across Berkshire to get in touch with us.”

As the government continues its commitment to significantly increase housing delivery, we look forward to continuing working with our national network ACRE to influence future planning policy and represent the needs of the rural communities we serve.

Watch the debate here; https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/dd159b03-912b-413e-9499-8189e6cf0ea8?in=16:01:24

Who’s your local hero?

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For the fourth year, BBC Radio Berkshire wants to celebrate and say thank you to people living in our villages and towns who make where we live a better place.

Every day we hear stories of people doing incredible things for each other and their communities. Now it’s time to recognise them for all their hard work.

Whether it’s caring for someone in need, being a brilliant neighbour, or inspiring children in the classroom, if you know someone who is really making a difference to your life or where you live, then you can nominate them for an Award.

There are 8 categories:

  1. The Volunteer Award – awarded to an individual who makes a notable difference to their community by giving their time voluntarily to help others.
  2. The Young Hero Award new – awarded to someone under 16 who has made a positive impact in their community or achieved something exceptional.
  3. The Great Neighbour Award – awarded to an individual who helps to make the neighbourhood a better place to live or work in, either on a regular basis or through a single act of kindness.
  4. The Active Award new – awarded to an individual or group of people who have used physical activity or sport as a way of improving the lives of those in their community.
  5. The Animal Award – awarded to either a remarkable animal that improves people’s lives, or an individual or group of people who improve the welfare of animals.
  6. The Green Award – awarded to an individual or group of people who improve or conserve their local environment.
  7. The Fundraiser Award – awarded to an individual or group of people who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good cause.
  8. The Community Group Award – awarded to a group of people who have helped to change the lives of others within their community.

Nominations are now open and will close on 31st March 2025 at 5:00pm.

The winners will be announced at our Make a Difference awards ceremony in September.

You can nominate someone you know here http://www.bbc.co.uk/makeadifference, where you can also see full Terms and our Privacy Notice.