Cumbria Rural Panel

Volunteers from six Community Buildings around Cumbria were presented with achievement awards by ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) at their recent AGM. Over 50 people attended the event at Sedbergh People’s Hall, celebrating the enormous contribution which Village Hall volunteers make to the communities they serve. 

From the 1,000 responses so far in the Cumbria Rural Panel Survey, the top priorities are: access to medical services, the need for transport services and affordable housing. Good Broadband and access to a village shop are also scoring highly. The survey being promoted by ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) is asking rural Cumbrian residents which services are important to them.  The results will be used to provide a focus for the discussions of the Cumbria Rural Panel. The survey ask respondents to pick three services, from a list of eight, that are the most important to rural life and then asks people to identify the one thing that would improve life in rural Cumbria.

ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) is asking rural Cumbrian residents what services are important to them.  The brief survey being used will provide a focus for the first discussions of the Cumbria Rural Panel.

Volunteers from across the county have met with ACTion with Communities in Cumbria to discuss how village halls and other community buildings can be more resilient.

ACT champions community and rural issues, and sees community buildings as a critical part of vibrant, sustainable rural life. Funding from the Prince’s Countryside Fund is supporting ACT to develop a toolkit to help community buildings manage risks and be more resilient.

ACTion with communities in Cumbria is urging the Government to pledge £3 million in the Budget to refund the VAT paid by village halls on improvement work such as modern kitchen and toilet facilities and new meeting rooms.