Defra investment in the ACRE Network
Facilitating change in rural communities through the Defra Local Action Grant
Action with Communities in Rural England acts as the broker for the government’s strategic investment in the ACRE Network through the Defra Local Action Grant, which is an annual funding programme that enables targeted support for rural communities across England.
The Defra Local Action Grant provides £1.72 million each year to the ACRE Network, with more than 95 per cent of funding distributed directly to ACRE members.
This investment helps deliver practical support and community-led solutions that address key rural challenges and create greater opportunities for people living and working in the countryside.
Funding supports activity across a range of priority areas, including:
- Digital skills and inclusion
- Social enterprise development and community capacity building
- Affordable energy
- Rural experiences of crime and victim support
- Rural life opportunities
- Rural transport
- Rural health
The grant enables ACRE members to work alongside local communities, partners and stakeholders to strengthen resilience, build capacity and develop innovative responses to local needs.
As part of the programme, ACRE also captures and shares evidence of rural needs, emerging trends and community experiences with Defra, helping to inform policy and decision-making at a national level.
In addition, the Network promotes and shares good practice, encouraging members to learn from one another, pilot innovative projects and scale up successful initiatives across rural England.
The overarching principles of the Defra Local Action Grant are to:
- Gather and share information and intelligence from rural communities to identify emerging issues and trends and inform Defra’s understanding of rural needs
- Promote innovation and the sharing of good practice across the Network, supporting collaboration, piloting new approaches, and scaling up successful projects for wider community benefit
Through this investment, ACRE and its members continue to support thriving, sustainable and inclusive rural communities across England.
