ACRE 21st Century Village Project
In 2007 ACRE the national organisation for the 38 Rural Community Councils launched the 21st Century Village initiative engaging with communities to review climate change and fuel (energy) poverty. The extra challenges facing residents of rural towns and villages include loss of amenities, public transport becoming scarcer, housing unaffordable except to cash buyers and a decrease in quality of the surrounding countryside.
With this in mind, the RCCs challenged communities to take action to make their village a better place to live in by:
• Using their local shop more often
• Making their home more energy efficient
• Reducing and recycling waste
• Volunteering with a local group or club
• Walking or cycling instead of driving
• Creating and conserving space for wildlife
For decades, RCCs have developed local, regional and national initiatives to support strong communities and over the next twelve months, they worked with rural communities to capture people’s attention and to engage them in activities that are relevant to their village and their concerns but which in total will contribute much to making our communities sustainable in the broadest sense.
With partners, they arranged projects, competitions and conferences on life in a 21st century village and a carbon neutral life style. All 38 RCCs led by example with environmental policies and actions to lower their carbon footprint and to reduce and recycle their waste and many signed up to the Third Sector Declaration to take action on climate change and to encourage and support communities to take action.
In the SE Community Council for Berkshire organised a conference on "Saving the Planet - What can Berkshire Do" Delegates left the conference feeling inspired and enthused and several initiatives have resulted from the day including the Goring & Streatley Hydro Initiative and a Transition Towns project.
Buckinghamshire Community Action also concentrated on the Transition Towns Initiative and Ben Branwyn of the Transition Network gave a talk at their AGM.
Hampshire Community Action held a 21st Century Community Buildings Environmental Day the highlight was a visit by "Wet Picnic Theatre Group" A second conference entitled "Creating a Sustainable Village" was held in the same month.
The Isle of Wight Rural Community Council in partnership with the Rural Forum delivered a workshop on Sustainable Communities.
Action with Communities in Rural Kent's conference focused on "Bridging the Gap: Engaging with communities to tackle Climate Change and Build Partnerships"
Oxfordshire Rural Community Council in partnership with Climate Xchange facilitated an evening with Oxfordshire Climate Change Communities and ran a competition for the best initiatives they also held several events at the Oxford Botanical Gardens Summer Picnic, a "Joining the Dots" initiative with the Environmental Change Unit at Oxford University and the Wynchwood Forest Fair.
Surrey Community Action held an Environmental Conference "The Surrey Voluntary Sector Goes Green" which was a joint initiative with World Wildlife Fund and Surrey County Council where they launched the Surrey Environment Award Scheme sponsored by Surrey CC.
Action with Communities in Rural Sussex published a 21st Century Village Newsletter to coincide with their Annual Conference and this included map and text for a 21st Century Village a link is available on their website http://www.ruralsussex.org.uk/newsletter/July07News.pdf
They have revisited this subject in their latest newsletter http://www.srcc.org.uk/newsletter/Mar08News.pdf
Which demonstrates some of the innovative projects carried out by Rural Communities in the SE.
Contact Email:
Organisation:
ACRE
Website relating to case study:
Organisation’s website:
Keywords relating to this case study:
Education & Training, 21st Century Village, ACRE, Community Engagement, Community Empowerment, SE Groups
South East groups case study relates to:
Communications
