Rural Community Council of Essex

About RCCE

Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) is an independent charity working to help rural communities achieve a thriving and sustainable future. We address issues such as social isolation, poor access to services and a shortage of affordable housing that are crucial to people living and working in rural Essex today.

Set up in 1929, RCCE is rooted in the villages and market towns of Essex. Over 400 local community organisations – principally Parish and Town Councils and Village Hall trusts – are currently members of RCCE.

Rural Voice

RCCE uses its knowledge and experience to provide a voice for rural communities in Essex, representing their needs to all levels of Government and to strategic partnerships and public bodies. We manage the Essex Rural Partnership which co-ordinates the work of a range of organisations concerned with the county’s rural areas and facilitates collaborative working.

RCCE is a member of ACRE, which brings together all of England’s county-based Rural Community Councils and provides a national voice for rural communities.

Supporting Communities

RCCE provides a range of professional services for rural communities, helping them find practical solutions to the issues that matter. These include:

Village Halls and Community Buildings
Community Agents Essex
Rural Housing
Community Led Planning and Engagement including Neighbourhood Planning
United in Kind – tackling social isolation
Oil Buying
Essex Rural Fund

Supporting the Rural Economy

We have just completed delivery of the Essex Rivers LEADER programme, providing more than £1.6 million in funding to support business diversification and growth across a substantial part of rural Essex. We work closely with economic and business partners through the Essex Rural Partnership and as a member of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Rural Working Group. We also support community-run enterprises such as shops and post offices.

Rural Community Council of Essex

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