1940s – a decade of supporting wartime efforts and post-war recovery
Cambridgeshire Rural Community Council played an important role organising Cambridgeshire’s community wartime efforts, particularly co-ordinating voluntary services from Cambridgeshire House. The Council’s strong links in every village supported the work of military liaison officers and the efforts of the British Red Cross and Women’s Institute. Working together, the organisations promoted community self-sufficiency to keep people fed and healthy.
Ensuring communities had somewhere to socialise
Many village halls were appropriated by the military and Red Cross but the Council lobbied for a compromise to allow communities to continue to use them in the evenings for social purposes which was felt important for maintaining community efforts and spirit.
Music concerts and choral groups developed with the need for some social activity to continue. They were popular, often including performances by well-known composers, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.
Keeping everyone fed and healthy
The Ministry of Food asked that Fruit Preservation Centres be created and the Council helped Cambridgeshire villages to establish these. In 1942, there were 50 centres producing 5 tons of jam and 2,600 cans of fruit and tomatoes. The Council went on to set up the County Garden Produce Committee and by 1943, there were 23 Pig Clubs, 2 Co-operatives, 3 Farm Workers Clubs, 10 Allotment Associations, 22 Rabbit Clubs and Cambridgeshire Goat Appreciation Society.
The Vegetable Drug Committee of the Ministry of Supply set up a County Herb Committee in each county. In Cambridgeshire, schools and youth groups helped collect dried nettles, 24 tons of horse chestnuts and 3 and half tons of rosehips, belladonnas and lime flowers.
Preparing for post-war recovery
In 1943, a Changing Villages Committee was formed to survey and record the changes in patterns of work, commuting and living in villages and the changing needs of people, especially workers and young people. They wished to look ahead and plan for future needs after the war ended.
Villagers were asked to turn their minds to the development of the social life of their village for “when the boys and girls get back”. Many raised funds for new halls and improvements to old ones, even though no halls could actually be built due to building restrictions and lack of materials.
There were specific concerns for older people and Older People’s Welfare Committees set up in all three counties with local club committees emerging in villages thanks to grants from the Council.
The Council marked 20 years of its existence and its annual report noted that
“The main difficulty is finance, and this hampers many developments, but activities continue and with a little more active support, the Council’s value to the villages of the County could be greatly enhanced.”
