Marking 100 years of support for England’s village halls

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Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to hold event celebrating a century of advice and support provided to England’s rural community buildings

It is estimated there are over 10,000 village halls to be found in most villages, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Isles of Scilly – many of which date back to the 1920s.

Her at CCB we know that these halls are the beating heart of the communities they serve, providing what is quite often the only place for people to meet and socialise, and sustaining plenty of livelihoods in the process.

But running these buildings is no easy task. Furthermore, they are run almost entirely by volunteers as charitable organisations. This can involve juggling the bookings and requirements of different groups, keeping the building in good condition and taking heed of various regulatory requirements.

Thankfully, there has been a network of specialist advisers on hand to help this army of volunteers working in each rural county of England – a service that is backed up nationally by our national body ACRE who work with government and policy makers to secure funding and changes in policy and legislation.

On Monday 1st November, there will be a celebration of the service the ACRE Network has provided to halls over the past 100 years.

The event is taking place at South Luffenham Village Hall in Rutland which is itself a ‘War Hut’ dating back to the 1920s but recently renovated thanks to the Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund managed by ACRE.

Deborah Clarke, ACRE’s Village Halls Manager said, “Anyone with an interest in the history of village halls should book a place at this celebratory event. You can look forward to hearing about the history of South Luffenham Hall, as well as talks by the Rt Hon Lord Benyon, Minister for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity and various illuminati from the ACRE Network”.

On the 2nd and 3rd November, ACRE Network Village Halls Advisers will meet in Leicester to refresh their knowledge and share good practice carrying on the tradition of the annual residential training event which has been taking place since the late 1990s.

‘100 Years of Village Halls’ is taking place at 1:30pm on 1 November 2021. Anyone wanting to attend in person or join a live stream can book a place here.

Book now!

The nominations are now open for the 2021 West Berkshire Learner Achievements Awards!

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‘Celebrating the outstanding achievements of adult learners’

The West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards are now open for nominations.

These annual awards celebrate the success of adult learning in West Berkshire covering apprenticeships, professional, academic and vocational courses and learning programmes to support families, communities and health and wellbeing.

Please note to qualify for an award the nominee must have been engaged in learning since September 2019, aged over 19 years when they started their course and lives, works or volunteers in West Berkshire.
These annual awards celebrate the success of adult learning in West Berkshire covering apprenticeships, professional, academic and vocational courses and learning programmes to support families, communities and health and wellbeing. Please note to qualify for an award the nominee must have been engaged in learning since September 2019, aged over 19 years when they started their course and lives, works or volunteers in West Berkshire.

There are eight award categories and each winner will receive a cash prize of £100 (£250 for groups). Award winners will be invited, with a guest, to the presentation ceremony at Shaw House, Newbury on Friday, 12 November at 5.30pm.

The Learner Achievement Awards are part of Lifelong Learning Week, a national celebration of adult learning that takes place in November each year.

Organised by West Berkshire Council on behalf of the West Berkshire Community Learning Partnership, the awards are sponsored by Newbury College, West Berkshire Training Consortium, and the Newbury Community Resource Centre.

Make an online nomination here.

Introducing Kate and our Community Buildings Advice Service

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If you’re involved with running or managing a village hall or community building in Berkshire and have yet to hear about our charities fantastic Community Buildings Advice Service then take a look at this quick video which introduces it. In order to run and fund the service we do have to charge annual membership fees; if you’d like to find out how you can become a member please click on this webpage; https://ccberks.org.uk/our-projects/community-buildings/ or email Kate.Meads@ccberks.org.uk

Hear from our Community Buildings Adviser Kate about the support she can offer village halls and from Edward a Trustee of Englefield Village Hall regarding the support and advice they have received from Kate.

Post Office News from Citizens Advice

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Post offices remain most valued local service


Post offices are still one of the most valued community services according to the annual Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Community Barometer. The barometer looks at services across key measures like reducing loneliness, how positive an impact they have on the community and how essential they are. Post offices take joint first place alongside convenience stores.

For the first time, the research measures the impact on house prices of different local services, and post offices come out on top. ACS comments that “despite the movement online of many services, it’s striking that consumers are still looking for physical service providers like the Post Office”.

Have you got a vision for your village? 

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The Prince’s Countryside Fund is inviting applications for grants of up to £25,000 from innovative projects that will create a long-term difference in remote rural areas of the UK. 

The PCF’s grant programme aims to empower rural communities to become more self-sufficient and viable, by funding community-led solutions. With thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the PCF aims to invest at least £500,000 each year through our grant programmes to make projects happen, particularly in hamlets, villages, and small towns. The PCF is particularly interested in receiving applications from projects in East Anglia, the north east of England, Wales and Northern Ireland in this grant round.  

The Northern Fells Group were awarded a grant by the PCF in April 2021. Libby Grahamsaid: “We’re using the funding to respond to the post-pandemic needs of our community, alongside the more than 250 volunteers who help us. Our Men in Sheds project is open three days a week and provides a safe place for men to meet to undertake a range of activities, like furniture repairs for the community. We are very grateful to the PCF for their support of our project.” The PCF’s Village Survival Guide gives inspiration as to how communities can come together to build a real future for rural Britain, covering how to set up a number of projects, from transport schemes to better broadband. 

If you have an idea for a project in your community, you can sign up to the PCF’s grants surgeries, to discuss this with the charity’s grant making team. Held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2pm during the application period, you can book your slot at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grants.  Applications for grants close on 17 September 2021 at midday. To find out more about the PCF’s grant programmes, including eligibility criteria and a copy of the application form, visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grants. You can buy a copy of the Village Survival Guide at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/VSG