Cambridgeshire ACRE’s Chief Executive, Hayley Neal, has written to all Members of Parliament for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough constituencies inviting them to learn more about rural issues and the charity’s work to support rural communities.

A copy of the text of Hayley’s letter is shared below:

To:

• Steve Barclay, Member of Parliament for North-East Cambridgeshire
• Charlotte Cane, Member of Parliament for Ely & East Cambridgeshire
• Sam Carling, Member of Parliament for North-West Cambridgeshire
• Pippa Heylings, Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire
• Ben Obese-Jecty, Member of Parliament for Huntingdon
• Andrew Pakes, Member of Parliament for Peterborough
• Ian Sollom, Member of Parliament for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
• Daniel Zeichner, Member of Parliament for Cambridge

Dear Member of Parliament

On behalf of Cambridgeshire ACRE I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as a Member of Parliament. We have something in common, I am also new to my role and it is both of our jobs to represent the people of Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire ACRE works alongside the rural communities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to offer support, resources and specialist advice to communities and partners across a wide range of areas connected to rural community life.

For 100 years we have helped communities to take action to make positive changes to their local neighbourhoods, by supporting volunteers to lead community projects, bringing local organisations together to drive meaningful change or amplifying the voices of our parish and community members, our charity is deeply embedded in rural community life.

By way of example, in three districts across the County we are currently supporting volunteers to run Community Hubs. These have evolved from the Warm Hubs which were rapidly established in September 2022 in response to cost-of-living pressures where there were concerns that residents would be unable to heat their homes and would be struggling over the winter months to afford other essentials such as food.

“It is a place of friendship and support, help and advice – a godsend for a lonely widow. I have made a lot more friends since coming. I have lived in the village for 37 years and really only made friends since the Hub started.” [Female attendee, 74]

Across the County, we offer a support service for village halls, deliver environmental projects and are working with partners to deliver affordable housing in places where a shortfall of homes for local people has been identified.

I would like to invite you to attend one of our Community Hubs so I can brief you on the work Cambridgeshire ACRE does in your constituency with rural communities.

Rural communities need our support more than ever as they tackle challenges around cost of living, affordable housing and looking after their most vulnerable members. I would be very interested to discuss your priorities for the constituency and how we might work together.

Cambridgeshire ACRE is part of the ACRE Network, which consists of 38 county-based charities working across rural England to speak up for and support rural communities. Our national body, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), works closely with government departments, parliamentarians and a wide range of other stakeholders to help develop and deliver public policies designed to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable rural communities.

I very much look forward to meeting you, understanding your own priorities as an MP, and discussing how we might work together to improve opportunities for rural communities locally.

I wish you every success in your role and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Hayley Neal
Chief Executive