Local Government Reorganisation to Bring Changes to Berkshire

Leave a comment

Recent Government announcements have confirmed that local government structures in Berkshire will change from 2028 as part of ongoing local government reorganisation plans.

Under the proposals, West Berkshire will join with most of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse to form a new unitary authority, known as Ridgeway Council. Local government arrangements across the rest of Berkshire will remain unchanged for now, although options for further reform continue to be explored.

The creation of Ridgeway Council will lead to significant changes in how public services are delivered across the area. As a result, voluntary and community organisations may experience a period of transition and uncertainty as they begin to establish relationships with the new authority and adapt to evolving arrangements.

Throughout this process, Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) will work closely with partners across Berkshire and Oxfordshire to help minimise disruption to the support available for local charities, community groups, and volunteers. A key priority will be ensuring that the voluntary and community sector is actively involved in shaping future arrangements from the outset.

CCB and its partners will also remain in regular contact with officers and representatives from the existing local authorities throughout the transition. This engagement will help ensure that the voice of the charitable sector, and the needs of the communities and beneficiaries it serves, are fully considered during the development of the new authority.

While the reorganisation brings understandable uncertainty, particularly for staff and elected members within the current councils, it also presents an opportunity to rethink how services are delivered and how organisations work together. CCB believes the formation of Ridgeway Council could create new opportunities for collaboration between the public, voluntary, community, and other sectors, helping to build stronger partnerships and more effective services for local residents.

CCB will continue to keep organisations and communities informed as further details emerge.

For any questions or concerns about the reorganisation and its potential impact on the voluntary and community sector, please contact Tim Parry at:
📧 Tim.Parry@ccberks.org.uk

Connecting Communities in Berkshire Launches New Strategy for 2026-2030

Leave a comment

Helping Berkshire communities thrive for the next 50 years

Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) is proud to launch our new Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, setting out an ambitious vision for stronger, more resilient and sustainable communities across Berkshire.

For more than 50 years, we have worked alongside local communities, helping people tackle challenges, seize opportunities, and shape their own futures. Our new strategy builds on this legacy while responding to the issues communities tell us matter most today: affordable housing, rising energy costs, social isolation, and access to essential services.

A vision for thriving communities

Our vision is simple: for all communities in Berkshire to be strong, resilient, sustainable, and able to take control of their own futures. [

We believe that most communities already have the knowledge, skills and passion they need to create positive change. Our role is to help unlock that potential, ensuring that nobody is disadvantaged because of where they live. When communities thrive, everyone benefits through better health, stronger connections, safer homes and greater opportunities.

Listening to what communities need

The development of our strategy has been shaped by what communities across Berkshire are telling us. Key concerns include:

  • The shortage of affordable homes for local people and key workers.
  • Increasing energy costs and fuel poverty.
  • Growing social isolation and loneliness.
  • Difficulties accessing healthcare and other essential services, particularly in rural areas.

Over the next five years, we will focus our efforts where we can make the greatest difference, working alongside residents, community groups, partners and funders to develop practical, long-term solutions.

Building on proven success

The strategy builds on the impact we are already delivering across Berkshire.

Through our 21st Century Halls programme, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, we are helping village halls become sustainable, accessible and energy-efficient community hubs. These vital spaces support local activities, services and connections that help communities flourish.

We will continue our work supporting affordable housing solutions, providing independent energy advice, tackling fuel poverty, promoting adult learning, and strengthening community networks across the county.

Five pillars for vibrant communities

At the heart of the strategy are five pillars that underpin thriving communities:

  • Community – creating places where people feel connected and supported.
  • Services – ensuring access to health, wellbeing and essential local services.
  • Connections – improving social connections, transport and digital inclusion.
  • Sustainability – supporting resilient communities and environmentally responsible solutions.
  • Your Role – encouraging volunteering, participation and local leadership.

Together, these pillars provide a framework for creating communities where people can live well, participate fully and feel connected to the places they call home.

Working at every level

What makes CCB different is our ability to work across the whole community system. We combine trusted grassroots relationships with strategic partnerships and policy influence, ensuring local voices are heard and reflected in decision-making.

As part of the national ACRE network, we are also able to connect local issues with wider conversations about rural services, housing, energy and community development, helping Berkshire communities benefit from national expertise and influence.

Looking ahead

As we begin this new chapter, we remain committed to listening, learning and evolving. Over the coming months we will strengthen partnerships, develop innovative approaches to tackling isolation, and build on the success of our village halls programme to ensure community spaces remain vibrant and future-ready.

We look forward to working with our members, partners, funders and communities to turn this vision into reality.

Together, we can help Berkshire communities thrive. To read the full document please click here.

Workshop Helps Trustees Build Stronger Committees for Community Halls

Leave a comment

Volunteer trustees from across Berkshire and west Oxfordshire gathered last month, braving the hottest day of the year so far, at Hermitage Village Hall for a practical training session focused on building effective management committees for community buildings and village halls.

The session was led by Kate Meads, Community Buildings Advisor at Connecting Communities in Berkshire, with support from Tessa Hall of sister organisation Community First Oxfordshire and Louise Beaton OBE, co-author of Halls for All: A History of Village Halls.

During the workshop, participants explored the essential ingredients of a successful management committee, including clearly defined roles, positive values and behaviours, effective governance, well-run meetings, and the importance of keeping community spaces safe, legal and welcoming.

Those attending described the event as a valuable opportunity to strengthen their understanding of hall management while also networking with others involved in running local venues.

The training session was interactive and thought-provoking, generating discussion and practical ideas that trustees could take back to their own organisations. It also highlighted one of the biggest challenges currently facing many community buildings: recruiting and attracting new trustees to help sustain these important local assets into the future.

Volunteers who support village halls and community buildings contribute time, experience and practical skills every week. From maintaining premises and organising events to overseeing bookings and finances, much of their work happens behind the scenes, but it remains essential to keeping these spaces open and active.  As Volunteers Week comes to a close we would like to say a massive THANK YOU to them on behalf of their local communities.

Community buildings and village halls continue to play a vital role in local life, providing welcoming places where residents can connect, take part in activities and support one another.

CCB’s role is to support community buildings and village halls by providing advice and guidance where needed, as well as visiting halls to carry out consultations that help ensure they remain fit, vibrant and sustainable well into the 21st century and beyond. Our next training event takes place later this month and will focus on Martyn’s Law – what the legislation is, why it matters, and how it may apply in community settings.

Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1985703839638?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thanks to West Berkshire Council Adult Community Learning Team for supporting these training sessions.

From Oxfordshire to Berkshire: Celebrating Community-Led Housing Intiatives

Leave a comment

By Maria Kelly, Rural Housing Enabler

On Saturday 21st February I attended a meeting of the Oxfordshire Community Led Housing Group, hosted by Stonesfield Community Trust at the cosy White Horse Community Pub, Stonesfield.  Stonesfield Community Trust, established in 1983, it was one of the first Community Land Trusts in the UK.  It owns and manages affordable housing in the village for people with a local connection, and the White Horse pub.  The meeting was attended by representatives from several local Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and other community led housing organisations, all at different stages of the journey and facing different challenges and opportunities.

During the day we explored how groups can work better together to deliver a growing potential pipeline of community -led homes, particularly in rural areas where finding suitable land and traditional Housing Associations to develop homes can be difficult.  We took a walk around Stonesfield to look at some of the homes built and managed by the Trust, which blend seamlessly with the older architecture of the village. We looked at a new area in the heart of the village where a glove factory operated in the 1970s, which will soon be the site of three new affordable rented homes built by the Trust.  The new houses will be adjacent to the picturesque Stonesfield Church and Oxfordshire’s oldest gaol – a listed ‘lock up’ owned by the Blenheim estate! 

Thank you to Fiona Brown and Kay Sentance from Community First Oxfordshire for inviting me along, and to the CLTs attending for making me feel so welcome.

There are many ways that communities can own and lead on the development of community assets such as housing and facilities – just consider the amazing work of village hall trustees and parish councils. One of Berkshires few Community land Trusts is Windsor Ascot and Maidenhead CLT, (Home – Windsor Ascot Maidenhead Community Land Trust) which is being supported by CCB to take on affordable housing and other assets in the Royal Borough. Through freehold ownership, CLTs can ensure that housing and other assets are available to the community in perpetuity and cannot be sold off privately or otherwise lost. 

If you are interested in finding out more about Community Land Trusts, contact maria.kelly@ccberks.org.uk

Understanding the Future of Rural Affordable Housing

Leave a comment

As part of our work to support the provision of affordable housing in rural communities, we have been working with colleagues across the rural Thames Valley region and across England to build a better picture of the condition and future of existing rural affordable housing stock.

Much of the rural affordable housing currently in use was built between the post‑war period and the 1970s. While the need for affordable housing in rural areas has increased, in some areas the supply has declined. Homes have been sold onto the open market and not replaced locally. This trend is concerning for rural communities and presents a significant challenge for Rural Housing Enablers and Local Authorities seeking to increase housing supply to meet growing need.

To better understand what is happening and why, CCB is exploring how housing providers manage their rural housing stock and the factors that influence decisions to sell rural affordable homes.

In November 2025, Sovereign Network Group (SNG), West Berkshire’s main provider of rural affordable housing, gave a presentation to the West Berkshire Council Resources and Place Scrutiny Committee. A recording of the meeting is available to view here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/aDHDdoW76ik

Rural residents across Berkshire have shared concerns about the sale of affordable rural homes, many of which are owned by SNG. During their presentation, SNG explained their approach to stock management and the decision‑making process around property sales. This short film brings together some of the key points from that presentation and highlights the important questions it raised.

🎥 Watch the film:

To find out more about our research into the loss of rural affordable homes, please visit our project webpage:
Research into market sales of affordable rural homes | Connecting Communities in Berkshire

If you are aware of sales of affordable homes in your rural community, please let us know by completing our short survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DNFBXP7

Alternatively, you can contact our Rural Housing Enabler directly at maria.kelly@ccberks.org.uk.