A partnership managed by BRCC has awarded a £204,550 grant to Gamlingay Parish Council in Cambridgeshire to help transform a dilapidated community centre into a vibrant, modern community hub. The Gamlingay Community Eco Hub is the first project to receive grant funding under the £3 million Greensand Ridge Rural Development Programme, which aims to stimulate the local economy of the Greensand Ridge area and to help its rural businesses and community enterprises become more competitive and sustainable.

The Programme is managed by the Greensand Ridge Local Action Group, a partnership of local business and community interests who have produced information on how people can apply to the programme for funding and the types of activity it is seeking to support.

Greensand Ridge Programme Manager Caron Kendall is particularly keen to hear from local farmers, rural businesses and community enterprises who are looking for funding to support the development of ‘green’ tourism and leisure and local food and drink projects.

Download the Gamlingay Eco-hub press release here. (124KB PDF)
Download the Greensand Ridge Investment Area map here. (79KB PDF)

For details on how to apply for grant funding under this programme, contact Caron at BRCC on 01767 626465 or visit www.greensand.org.uk

As reported in our last e-bulletin, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and Shuttleworth College are taking on the lease of Warden Abbey Vineyard in an ambitious project to put the local community at the heart of producing its award-winning wines. We are looking for people and organisations who want to get involved. Most of all, to enjoy being active in the open and to see the vineyard thrive!

It’s not all physical work. As well as helping out with vineyard tasks throughout the year such as pruning and harvesting, there will be lots of opportunities to be involved in fund-raising, business and marketing – including promoting the project and wines at fairs and markets and leading tours of the vineyard. You can learn new skills, or help by bringing your existing knowledge and skills to the project.

To find out more, please contact: Jane Markham on 07981 113714 or by email at: moot@hotmail.co.uk

BRCC’s Carers Support Bureau is running a number of informal events for carers in Bedford Borough during Carers Week, between 14 and 20 June. The events are taking place in Roxton, Harrold, Bedford and Kempston Rural. At each event there will be information & support, blood pressure checks, signposting to other services and free refreshments.

You can download further information about Carers Week here. (55KB PDF)
or download the Carers Week event publicity here. (157KB PDF)

Public and voluntary sector organisations alike face challenges in delivering services in rural areas. BRCC is co-organising a mini-conference for service providers to address this issue at the HQ of Bedfordshire and Luton Mind, The Old Fire Station 10 Bedford Street Ampthill MK45 2NB.

You can download further mini-conference information here. (12KB PDF)

This free two-day course is designed for development workers and will equip you with the skills and knowledge to help the organisations you support to work collaboratively.

For more information go to www.bassac.org.uk/collaborationbenefits.

Children from Luton’s Hillborough Infant School’s Out of Hours Club worked with Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) staff to plant seedlings and weave willow tepees in a new vegetable plot in the school grounds.

BRCC’s Nourishing Neighbourhoods Project Officer, Sarah Watson-Jones, and Smallholder Guy Lambourne, showed the children basic willow weaving techniques to produce two large tepees. The tepees will not only be used to grow peas and beans in the school’s newly developed vegetable plot, but also as a year-round den providing a valuable play resource.

Download the Nourishing Neighbourhoods press release here. (999KB PDF)

Both BRCC staff and children from the school were interviewed when BBC Three Counties Radio visited the school. The interview was first broadcast on 'Drive Time - with Roberto', and images can be found on the BBC website at this link.