PLEA ON BEHALF OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ACRE I am writing to ask you to join our urgent campaign to call on the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs not to withdraw funding for the ACRE Network of rural community councils (RCCs). The Network, of which Northamptonshire ACRE is a member, is the only nationwide organisation with a dedicated rural focus; building community resilience, strengthening local enterprise and supporting the most vulnerable in our society. In addition, we are the sole network that provides advice to the 80,000 volunteers who keep England’s 10,000 village halls alive. We have been supported by Government investment for decades. Now, however, we have been advised by civil servants to expect no further funding from Defra. If Defra funding is withdrawn, Northamptonshire ACRE is extremely concerned it will have a negative impact on the number of services and projects we can deliver locally. NACRE currently delivers services to help people in Northamptonshire’s rural communities including; community planning, Village Halls support, community website training, Speed Watch, bulk oil buying, transport directory, broadband and various garden growing projects plus the new Rural Wellbeing Service we will be implementing from March to help socially isolated and lonely older people in rural communities. To pull the Defra funding now would fracture the Network, undermine decades of government investment and leave the most vulnerable in rural areas with nowhere to go. We only have one week to influence DEFRA’s decision. Please show your support for Northamptonshire ACRE by signing the ACRE Network online petition now at epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/73418
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:48:44 +0000
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