When people think about Cambridgeshire ACRE, they often think about village halls, community projects or affordable housing. What many do not realise is the breadth of practical support our team provides every day.

Across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, our staff work alongside residents, volunteers, parish councils and community groups to help tackle challenges large and small. Whether you are struggling to access support, looking to strengthen your community, or trying to solve a local problem, chances are we have helped somebody in a similar situation before.

If you need help staying connected to services and support…

Our Village Agents work across East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Fenland, helping residents navigate everything from benefits and healthcare to housing, caring responsibilities and community support. Recent examples include helping someone find an NHS dentist after years without access to one and supporting a disabled woman to find safe accommodation.

If you need support with cancer…

You could speak to Nicky Harris or Kathy Davey, our Macmillan Village Agents. They help people affected by cancer access practical and emotional support, connect with local services and find community activities that reduce isolation. They also work to raise awareness of cancer signs and symptoms and support people to access screening opportunities. Although they work primarily in Fenland, they are able to signpost to services elsewhere too.

If your village hall or community building needs support…

Lisa Chambers and Oli Bachini work with local volunteers and trustees to help community buildings remain sustainable, welcoming and well managed. Whether you need advice on governance, building management, energy efficiency or future investment, they can help you make informed decisions with confidence.

If your community is concerned about affordable housing…

Rural Housing Enablers Gary Roffey and Russell Moore work with parish councils, housing associations and local communities to identify housing need and support the development of affordable homes for local people. Their work helps ensure villages remain vibrant, sustainable places where people can continue to live near family, work and support networks.

If you want to improve local health and wellbeing…

Rachel Mason, Caitlin Evans and their wider wellbeing teams support community hubs, volunteers and local residents to access the help they need close to home. Their work helps tackle loneliness, improve wellbeing and ensure people can find practical support before issues reach crisis point.

 

If you care about the future of your local environment…

Rachael Deas and Oli Bachini help communities protect and improve their local environment. This includes supporting volunteers on waterways projects, helping community buildings reduce their carbon footprint and encouraging local action that benefits both people and nature.

 

If you are supporting young people in Fenland…

Caitlin Evans and Holly Rush work with young people through Fenland Youth Connect, providing wellbeing support, personal development opportunities and help to access education, training and employment opportunities.

 

 

Not sure who to contact?

That is perfectly fine. Many of the people we support come to us with a problem rather than a clear solution. Our role is often to listen first, help people understand their options and connect them with the right support.

If you are facing a challenge in your community, get in touch. We may not have all the answers ourselves, but we will do our best to help you find them.

 

Note: Generative AI was used to bring together individual images of our staff team into the combined images used in this article.