Rural Housing Week (1^st to 5^th July) is an opportunity to focus on the housing challenges facing people living in rural communities.  It is a chance to highlight how we can do things differently and develop lasting solutions to the rural housing crisis which is driven by a combination of low local incomes, high housing costs due to external demand, and a limited affordable housing supply. With affordable housing constituting only 9% in villages compared to 17% in urban areas, the disparity is striking.

We are working in partnership with Connecting Communities in Berkshire and Community Impact Bucks to use Rural Housing Week to publicise this issue so look out for our social media posts.

A New Strategy for Thriving Rural Communities

A-Manifesto-for-Delivering-Thriving-Rural-Communities-Through-Affordable-Housing  is a strategic document developed by a coalition of rural charities and housing associations. It makes several evidence-based recommendations to address the rural housing crisis, focusing on a long-term strategy for scaling up and delivering a national programme of affordable rural house building. Key recommendations include:

• Housing Needs Requiring local authorities to assess and document the specific housing needs in their rural communities and devise targeted policies and strategies to address them.
• Enhanced Planning Policy improving national planning policy and guidance in order to accelerate delivery of homes through Rural Exception Sites.
• Funding for Enablers Establishing an annual fund of approximately £2.6 million to sustain a national network of Rural Housing Enablers.
• Adapted Homelessness Strategies Adapting homelessness and rough sleeping strategies to rural areas, focusing on prevention and using enhanced data collection to uncover hidden needs.

Affordable rural housing projects, often  small in scale,  yield major benefits, contributing significantly to community investment and economic prosperity. Building just ten such homes can provide a £1.4m economic boost, support 26 local jobs, and secure a net return of around £250k for the Treasury, before considering other local multiplier effects.

By understanding and addressing these challenges, the strategy aims to make the countryside a viable, inclusive, and attractive living option, enriched with opportunities for all.

Collaboration for Impact

Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Community Impact Bucks and Community First Oxfordshire are working together under the banner of the Rural Thames Valley Partnership. By sharing knowledge and resources, we aim to get the most out of our respective rural housing projects  for the rural communities we serve.

As Middle Barton Bowls Club celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, the century-old institution received a boost from the Connected Community Fund to help sustain its vital role in bringing people together and combating social isolation.

Founded in 1923, the club has become far more than just a sporting venue over the decades. As club captain Bob poignantly stated, “Without the club, people would suffer, lots of people are lonely.” One longtime attendee who has lived in the area her whole life summed it up: “This has become my community; we are more or less a family here.”

The Fund provided support that allowed the club to enhance its accessibility and extend an inclusive welcome to members of all abilities. Signs were installed to help those unfamiliar with the area locate the facility more easily. Funds also covered advertising and catering for open day events aimed at attracting new members to join the tight-knit bowls community.

But perhaps most impactfully, the grants facilitated purchases of specialised equipment to enable players with mobility or vision challenges to keep participating in the sport they love. Ball lifters allow those unable to bend over to continue bowling. Coloured mats increase visibility for those with fading eyesight. And customised folding walking sticks let members with hip, knee or other issues navigate the green safely.

Peter, the club’s safeguarding lead, summarised the club’s profound impact: “It is an antidote to loneliness.” The club welcomes all ages from teenagers to over ninety-year-olds, who bundle up to play indoors even in the winter months.

Stories exemplifying the club’s community benefits abound. A couple facing mobility and health struggles found their overall fitness improving after joining, to the point they could manage a steep hill walk they previously couldn’t. Members undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer or grief after a loss find solace in the support and camaraderie. As one member shared, “This sport offers friendship and somewhere they can be part of a team and club.”

With an ethos of inclusivity, Middle Barton Bowls Club has spent a century bringing locals together across generations. Thanks to the Connected Community Fund, this unique space helping to combat loneliness can continue that mission.

For more information about Middle Barton Bowls Club follow the link: https://bowlsoxfordshire.co.uk/index.php/affiliated-clubs/189-middle-barton-bowls-club

Written by Jaime Hewett

OCVA Development Officer