Funding

Funding for Rural Community Buildings

Significant capital investment by local authorities and funding bodies has helped to keep the stock of community buildings fit for purpose in the 21st century. ACRE believes the investment has been well justified as village halls provide an extremely wide range of services, community and cultural activities.For further information on the funding of rural community buildings visit our Village Hall Information Service, Funding page.

Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund

The Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund (RCBLF) is managed by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and overseen by the Department for Enviroment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra). It plays a crucial role in enabling building, renovation and refurbishment work.

The RCBLF provides assistance to hall committees as it can be used to fill temporary gaps in funding either for specific projects, particularly those that improve an existing service, or for urgent works to enable the building to continue to operate. In many cases the loan fund has played a significant role in the management of cash flow during large build or renovation projects. Further information, including an application form and guidance notes are provided on the RCBLF page of this website.

ALSF COMMA Fund

Following the Spending Review settlement, in October 2010, the Government has decided to discontinue the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) from the end of this current financial year. This means that the COMMA fund, which is part of the ALSF programme is now closed. ACRE has delivered this grants programme since 2007 and it is with regret that we announce its closure. The COMMA fund attracted over 900 applications and has supported a wide range of projects over the four years of the programme. These projects have provided genuine and lasting benefit to communities affected by aggregates extraction or transportation. Further information is provided on the COMMA page of this website.