Community buildings are a vital part of rural and village life but can present many challenges.

As the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Village Hall Adviser for community buildings in rural North, South and West Yorkshire, we provide practical guidance and rural advocacy to trustees, employees and management committees of rural community buildings. You can access support on a range of areas including: good governance; safeguarding; finance and funding; policies and procedures and operational good practice.

Our resources will help you explore safeguarding, how to make your building greener and much more.

Have a question or can’t find what you are looking for? Contact us on communitysupport@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk or 01904 704177.

Safeguarding resources for community buildings and village halls.

We’ve been working with ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) to promote good safeguarding practice to village and community halls. We have a wide range of useful resources here.

ACRE resources for members.

Community First Yorkshire members can access ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) resources for village halls and community buildings by logging into our Members Area on our Community First Yorkshire website. Once logged in, click ‘Members Resources’, and then ‘Village Hall resources’. Information covers everything from building maintenance and licences to business planning and leasing agreements.

Not yet a Community First Yorkshire member? Sign up on our website.

If you have any questions, email communitybuildings@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Green friendly resources.

Want to make your hall more energy-efficient and greener? Find out more in our FAQ Green Energy Community Buildings factsheet about green technologies, and view ACRE’s Net Zero Design Guide to read inspiring case studies and advice from experts on how to transform your village hall into a green-friendly space.

Listen to Community First Yorkshire’s podcasts about Green Communities.

Nicky Smith, our Development Officer at Community First Yorkshire shares her top tips on completing community surveys.