Cadent teams up with Cambridgeshire ACRE to help support rural community hubs

Through its 'Community Hubs' project, Cambridgeshire ACRE offers support, resources and specialist advice to communities and partners across a wide range of topic areas connected to rural community life.

Its services aim to uphold and empower the values of rural communities by building sustainable partnerships with them. The Cambridgeshire Community Hubs Network, which operates across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and South Cambridgeshire, provides safe, warm and welcoming spaces for people to come together to support each other.

Fuel poverty remains a persistent issue affecting millions of people across the UK, particularly those on low incomes. Facilitated by Cambridgeshire ACRE, using funding from Cadent’s Centres for Warmth initiative, residents can visit a safe and friendly environment to enjoy free refreshments and social activities, obtain information and advice, and share the company of others.

The network of Community Hubs is truly community-led; coordinated and hosted by trained volunteers within the heart of local communities. Cambridgeshire ACRE’s team of Village Agents regularly visit community hubs and are able to support any adult who is struggling personally, emotionally, medically or financially and who needs help to find solutions.

Some residents live in vulnerable situations and cost of living is a concern, so they can also provide energy and benefits advice and connect people to the right services.

Rachel Mason, Community Wellbeing Manager at Cambridgeshire ACRE, said: “We are all so pleased to be partnering with Cadent to bring crucial services to residents living across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and South Cambridgeshire. “This is a much-needed boost to help our community who will benefit from extra support and advice during the winter months and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

"The funding means that we will be able to provide extra training to our Village Agents giving them the resources, expertise and trusted relationships to best support our diverse communities.

“We’d like to thank Cadent for their support and encourage residents to get in touch with us should they have any questions about what help is at hand.”

Philip Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability at Cadent, added: “We are so pleased to be able to support Cambridgeshire ACRE and the unique work that it does across the county.

“We work with a lot of Centres for Warmth, but Cambridgeshire ACRE take the services normally supplied in a single location and shares them through their network of smaller hubs which aim to help rural communities and those who would otherwise be cut off.

“With more than 35 community hubs and a dedicated group of volunteer Village Agents, the work that Cambridgeshire ACRE carries out is so important and we are delighted to be able to support them.”

To find out more about the community hub network visit the Cambridgeshire Acre website: https://www.cambsacre.org.uk/cambridgeshire-community-hubs-network/