Berkshire

A brief history of CCB.

Connecting Communities in Berkshire was originally established on 25^th September 1973 as the Berkshire Community Service Council ‘to provide a clearing house for charitable and voluntary effort’. Prior to its creation, Oxfordshire Rural Community Council provided a rural industries service, and the regional office of the NCSS (National Council of Social Service) in Reading supported drama, music, parish councils and old peoples’ welfare.   

The first role within the charity was a Countryside Liaison Officer whose focus was villages, their needs and the countryside. Other, wide-ranging early themes of work included support for adult literacy, Community Health Councils, the probation service, supporting people in retirement and the voluntary & community sector; all of which helped establish the charity as flexible and responsive to the changing nature of need within Berkshire’s diverse communities. Known variously as Berkshire Community Services Council, Berkshire Community Council, Community Council for Berkshire and now Connecting Communities in Berkshire, CCB has retained this flexible attitude by working to tackle disadvantage in all parts of Berkshire, with a particular focus on rural communities.

The Royal County of Berkshire, a ceremonial county and non-metropolitan county, is unusual in having no local authority covering its entire area. Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998 when the 6 district councils became unitary authorities, but the ceremonial county of Berkshire was never abolished, enabling the area to retain the title of Royal County, with a High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant.

Berkshire has a rich history, not least with numerous connections to the English monarchy. Reading Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry I and was the site of his burial 14 years later. The Abbey played an important role during the 400 years prior to its demolition by Henry VIII, including for a very brief period the meeting place of Parliament. Henry I was the first English King to use Windsor Castle as a royal residence, more recently used regularly by Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine, Princess of Wales, married to Prince William, was born in Reading and grew up in West Berkshire.

Berkshire is known as home to many of the world’s major technology companies, hosting national and international headquarters for Vodafone, Dell, Microsoft and Fujitsu, to name but a few. The presence of so many global companies makes Berkshire second only to London in terms of GVA, cementing the county’s reputation of prosperity. However, this reputation, combined with very high house prices and relatively low unemployment helps mask significant areas of deprivation, much of which exists within the main urban areas of Reading and Slough. However, pockets of deprivation exist right across the county, with many smaller, more rural communities negatively impacted by high living costs, declining rural services and few opportunities for employment.

The contrasting experiences of living in Berkshire’s vastly differing communities has given rise to much of the work carried out by CCB over the years, including:

• The Berkshire Environmental Forum
• Secretariat for the Berkshire Association of Local Councils
• Rural Advisory Panel
• Village Halls Advice Service
• Berkshire Youth Action
• Resources Centre for the Unemployed
• Best Kept Village Competition
• Village Appraisals
• Parish Planning, including achieving Beacon status in partnership with West Berkshire Council
• Support groups for people with disabilities and terminal illnesses
• Berkshire Playing fields Association
• Berkshire Combined Fundraising Association
• Reels on Wheels: rural cinemas
• Support services for village shops and community facilities
• Rural Housing Enabler project that delivered 41 affordable homes
• Numerous research projects examining the many faces of rural deprivation
• Downlands Conference, promoting the quality of life within rural communities, the environment, farming, rural economy and housing led to the establishment of the North Wessex Downs AONB
• Significant involvement in major change within the local voluntary sector following local government reorganisation
• Gypsy and Traveller Education project
• ESF projects supporting migrant workers, unpaid carers and ESOL
• Fuel poverty advice
• Rural Forum for Berkshire

Today, CCB continues to focus on supporting positive community-led action, with community buildings central to this activity. The charity provides a varied programme of adult learning opportunities and a unique service targeting those most at risk of fuel poverty. In collaboration with colleagues in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, support is provided for community-led housing projects. A new series of strategic partnerships are planned for the future, bringing a rural dimension to the work of many other local bodies, and ensuring that CCB’s expertise and reach into rural communities, developed over 50 years, continues to reduce inequality and help communities to thrive.