We need you to sign this urgent national petition today, as a decision on funding is due to be confirmed week commencing 19 January 2015
Suffolk stands to lose vital funding from DEFRA to support its rural services, but you can help fight against this by signing this national petition today.
Funding to support the ACRE Network of Rural Community Councils (RCCs), of which Community Action Suffolk (CAS) is a member, is under imminent threat. CAS is asking you to support ACRE’s national campaign to attempt to influence the funding decision, expected the week commencing 19th January 2015 by signing this online petition.
Without this funding, CAS’s ability support rural communities and services communities across Suffolk will be impacted. The money from DEFRA enables us to leverage in excess of matched funding within the region. This work we are able to undertake as a result includes community development, representation to improve access to broadband, development of affordable housing schemes, provision of transport, support with fuel poverty and development of social enterprise. We are able to support Suffolk’s community groups who are working with the most deprived and isolated communities and much more.
Jo Whiting, Senior Development Officer for Communities and Rural Issues at Community Action Suffolk, says, “If ACRE and Community Action Suffolk were to lose this funding, this would negatively impact the support we are able to give to our 1000 members, many of whom are rural parishes, voluntary and community organisations, village halls and community buildings.”
ACRE are asking for investment to enable the Network to continue to provide its much needed support to rural communities who make up 20% of the population.
For DEFRA to make a decision to pull the funding now would fracture the Network, affect Community Action Suffolk and undermine decades of government investment and leave the most vulnerable in rural areas with little or no support. Please help us to continue our support and add your name to the petition.