Meet our new Rural Housing Enablers!

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We are now very pleased to introduce to you our two new Rural Housing Enablers – Maria Kelly and Barry Malki

Maria joined our charity over a year ago as our Project Development Officer on our 21st Century Halls programme (https://ccberks.org.uk/our-projects/rural-hubs-village-halls-fit-for-the-21st-century/). Maria has worked in the community sector for 20 years and has extensive experience in community-led partnerships.

Maria says “I’m thrilled to take on a new role at CCB working with communities to help tackle rural housing need. Lack of affordable housing is a huge problem across the country and can make it impossible for people in rural areas to stay living in their communities if their housing needs and circumstances change. It’s exciting to be part of this nationwide initiative which could make a real positive impact on rural housing.”

Until the end of March 2024, Maria will be splitting her time over both roles and we soon will be recruiting another member of the team to support our Community Buildings Advisor, Kate Meads to deliver this important key project and further develop new opportunities for CCB to support Berkshire’s rural communities.

We also offer a warm welcome to a new face in the CCB family in the form of Barry Malki. Barry has spent many years working in the Housing Sector, primarily focused on social impact and communities. During this period, Barry has worked with different organisations and agencies across the country and is a passionate advocate of shared learning and supporting networks.

Barry says “I am keen over the next six months to engage with many different organisations and stakeholders across the county, to help them to understand their role in the development of new Housing supply in areas that may otherwise be overlooked by developers.“

Before working in Housing, Barry toured as a full-time musician, and since 2020 has come out of retirement to play in several touring theatre shows (so you may catch him somewhere in a sparkly blazer with epaulettes!).

There are increasing problems with affordability in our villages which makes our rural communities increasingly unsustainable. Building the homes people need brings vitality to rural communities and helps boost the rural economy at this difficult time. This project will help rural communities in Berkshire carry out a housing needs survey and identify potential sites.

TONIGHT (27/02/24) at 7pm they kick off the project with an online Rural Housing Event. This launch event will give more information about the support available for your community to carry out a housing needs survey and identify potential sites. If you’d like to book click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rural-housing-event-tickets-844734352187?aff=oddtdtcreator

Opportunity to find out more about Affordable Housing in Berkshire’s Rural Communities

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We are running an online event next week (27th February 2024 at 7pm) about our new Rural Affordable Housing Service!

With investment from Defra via our national body Action with Communities in Rural England we can once again provide a rural housing enabling service to rural communities across Berkshire.

We are looking forward to working with people who live in rural communities and partners to create new opportunities to provide affordable homes for local people in rural areas.

The increasing problems with affordability in our villages make our rural communities increasingly unsustainable. Building the homes people need brings vitality to rural communities and helps boost the rural economy at this difficult time.

The event will give more information about the support available for your community to carry out a housing needs survey and identify potential sites. We will hear from a local Housing Association that works in collaboration with communities to develop affordable homes. There will be plenty of time to ask questions about your own particular needs.

The event takes place online via Zoom at 7pm on Tuesday 27th February.

Please find out more and book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/844734352187?aff=oddtdtcreator

New opportunity to make a real difference to rural communities in Berkshire

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Could you be our new Rural Housing Enabler?

£30,000 – £32,000 pa, full-time role, 35 hours per week. Fixed term contract until March 2025.

Funding is in place to offer this role on a full-time basis. However, we want to hear from potential candidates interested in the role but unable to make a full-time commitment. We will consider offering the role on a part-time basis or as a job-share to the right candidate/s. We will also be happy to consider offering a secondment to someone currently working in an associated role who can bring strong skills and experience with them while learning a new aspect to their profession.

Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) work to increase the supply of affordable homes in rural areas for people with a local connection to their community. They support communities to build up evidence of need for affordable housing and use this evidence to help bring about small-scale developments to address local needs. These developments help ensure the vibrancy of rural communities, providing much-needed homes for people growing up or working in these communities and supporting local businesses.

The opportunity

The Berkshire RHE will work in partnership with rural communities, local authorities, Registered Providers and other stakeholders to increase the supply of rural affordable homes. The RHE will join a network of RHEs working across England, with the opportunity to learn from each other and inform the development of local and national policies and strategies.

We are looking for someone with the passion and drive to lead this important project. Our ideal candidate will have a background in housing, understand the current policy background and have a sound appreciation of community development principles. A full job description and person specification can be found here. Our ideal candidate will possess many of the qualities outlined and be motivated to actively pursue opportunities to develop themselves further. This role involves travel around Berkshire, many of the areas will be rural with very limited public transport. A good proportion of your time will be out and about meeting people, so if you are a confident driver with access to your own car for business use, this would be an advantage.

To apply for this role, please review the Job Description and Person Specification and send a CV with covering letter (and a Diversity & Inclusion form) describing how your skills, experience and interests align with the role, to Gemma.Pearce@ccberks.org.uk or post to Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, Berkshire, RG7 1WY .

The deadline for applications is Friday 26th January and interviews will take place during the 8th February.

Our benefits:

  • 25 days annual leave per year plus public/bank holidays
  • Contributory pension scheme
  • Free office car parking
  • Staff training and development

If you would like an informal chat about the role before applying, please contact Tim Parry from CCB on 0773 888 7611 or email Tim.Parry@ccberks.org.uk.

Heating Oil Trade Association Launch Cold Weather Priority Initiative To Tackle Winter Deaths

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With more than one million rural homes in the UK using oil for their heating, heating oil trade association, The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) is this winter launching the Cold Weather Priority (CWP) and vulnerable persons protocol for the off-grid sector to reduce what’s known as ‘excess winter deaths’ throughout the winter months.

According to The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), each year in the UK, there are 40,000 so-called ‘excess winter deaths’ as a result of cold. 82.5% of these are among the elderly (aged 75 and over). The Cold Weather Prority (CWP) initiative will assist in identifying and help those most at risk so they are prioritised for delivery when it comes to off-grid fuel supplies throughout the winter months, especially during periods of extreme cold weather or fuel shortages.
With support for the initiative from Energy Minister, Richard Harrington comments: “Extreme and cold weather conditions can create severe problems in the winter months for those that use oil to heat their homes. This initiative ensures that those in particular need are prioritised for delivery of fuel. This is a welcome move by the industry which will provide security, comfort and peace of mind to thousands of people across the country in vulnerable circumstances.”
FPS Spokesperson Dawn Shakespeare commented: “Too many old, weak and vulnerable people die as a result fuel poverty and poor access to supplies during the winter. Fortunately, according to independent provider of comparative home heating costs, Sutherland Tables, at an annual cost of £840, oil is still the cheapest way to heat a typical off-grid three-bedroom home in the UK. That’s more than half the cost of electricity and even less than gas and good news for our most vulnerable customers. But it’s just as important for customers to know that there is help available when it comes to getting their fuel when they need it most.”
Dawn adds: “FPS members will be employing various methods to identify customers who they believe fall into the ‘CWP’ category, so that deliveries can be prioritised to these people during the winter months. The FPS is also urging customers who are aged over 75 to get in touch with their heating oil supplier if they believe they should be part of the CWP initiative. The FPS and many of our members are also working with the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) and asking customers in the CWP scheme if we can pass their details to Fire & Rescue services, so we can enable ‘Safe and Well’ visits to be arranged for them.
Thankfully, situations where supplies of fuel are short and the cold is extreme are rare.
However, the initiatives like the CWP enables fuel suppliers to take a pro-active view of customers who could possibly be at risk, ensuring that getting heating oil supplies through to them is a priority.”
If you would like to know more about the scheme and to check if your local supplier is involved visit cold weather priority  or contact a nearest Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) member – a list of your nearest suppliers can be found here http://www.oilsave.org.uk/distributor-search