The media frenzy around the latest news from the new coalition government understandably focuses on the big news items. Will spending on education and the NHS be protected, how will the government nurse the fragile economy back to life when the public purse is empty and how will they encourage the banks to start lending again?Whilst it is right and proper that these important issues are aired we should not neglect those less newsworthy sectors that are in need of some urgent help.
Community owned facilities for example. There are 9,000 halls in the UK which represents the largest network of community owned facilities in the country with a total asset value of over £3 billion.
These facilities which are often vital lifeblood of any community, especially in rural areas, are run and managed by volunteers without regular funding from local authorities. Capital expenditure to improve or replace these halls has to come from funding which is often difficult to obtain.
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the national body for the Rural Community Action Network provides a strategic view of rural community issues to government and has previously issued a 10 point plan for improving England’s community buildings.
The new government should address these concerns to ensure that this sector does not suffer a major setback when the final extent of the cuts in spending is known.
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