Rother infrastructure organisation gets Lottery Funding boost for rural work
Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) has received Reaching Communities funding from the National Lottery to expand and develop their rural work in Rother.
The £134,000 grant will be used by the local infrastructure organisation to research and develop how rural hubs can bring together communities and services, and to identify ways in which they can meet local challenges, build confidence and skills, influence strategic policymaking and tackle poverty and health based inequalities.
Kim Richards, RVA’s CEO said: “We’re delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to press on with our plans to develop our offer of enabling supported community action to local communities across rural Rother to make sure the collaborative community hubs approach we are developing with partners in Bexhill is really benefiting rural areas. This is important because it helps communities become more resilient and more empowered.”
Over the next two years RVA will work with communities to bring about change. This may be through establishing a physical hub for local activities and services, or by establishing a network that tackles local issues through public, private and community-based organisations.
We aim to create a network of rural hubs that work towards equity of access to services, and a framework that helps RVA and others to better serve rural communities. One of our main goals is to also improve representation by amplifying the voice of rural and marginalised communities and improve local decision making.
Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) supports 100s of voluntary groups across Rother.
Our mission is to help local community groups, individuals, charities and social enterprises make a difference in our community. We do this by connecting our community through networks and events, supporting the development of knowledge and skills, and empowering people to turn their ideas into reality.
RVA also delivers the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme throughout Rother. Homes for Ukraine is a Home Office scheme to support people fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion and provides a pathway for people from Ukraine to come to the UK.