Finance Score: -1

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 8

Low unrestricted reserves: -2
Multiple Deficits: -2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 13

ACTION WITH COMMUNITIES IN RURAL ENGLAND (ACRE)

Strategic influencing role on behalf of rural communities.Performance improvement work with members.Improving the visibility of rural needs through policy development and research.Continuing to support the ACRE Network and rural practitioners through networking, best practice sharing and learning.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

Unrestricted reserves appear to be dangerously low at the latest year end
On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

Established: 27 years

www.acre.org.uk

r.quallington@acre.org.uk

01285653477

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff
31/03/23	£1,988	£2,380	£-392	£8	£454	£438	2.2	3
31/03/22	£2,084	£2,914	£-829	£4	£846	£475	2	3
31/03/21	£2,120	£3,336	£-1,216	£16	£1,676	£434	1.6	3
31/03/20	£4,947	£2,512	£2,435	£9	£2,892	£452	2.2	3
31/03/19	£2,369	£2,350	£18	£6	£456	£432	2.2	3
31/03/18	£2,240	£2,268	£-28	£11	£438	£429	2.3	3
31/03/17	£3,050	£2,998	£53	£12	£466	£452	1.8	3
31/03/16	£3,012	£3,005	£7	£30	£413	£392	1.6	4
31/03/15	£2,734	£2,944	£-210	£119	£406	£394	1.6	9
31/03/14	£2,702	£2,823	£-121	£134	£616	£521	2.2	9
31/03/13	£3,452	£3,459	£-7	£80	£736	£609	2.1	15
31/03/12	£3,951	£3,923	£28	£73	£744	£674	2.1	16
31/03/11	£4,886	£4,863	£23	£53	£716	£686	1.7	14
31/03/10	£4,886	£4,863	£23	£78	£522	£501	1.2	15
31/03/09	£4,899	£4,739	£160	£73	£499	£415	1.1	14
31/03/08	£1,377	£1,309	£67	£194	£339	£249	2.3	14
31/03/07	£839	£718	£120	£227	£272	£237	4	12
31/03/06	£559	£541	£18	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/03/05	£523	£536	£-13	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/03/04	£509	£460	£49	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0.4%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0.3%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 63%
Liabilities/Income: 39%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 96%
Reserves/Spending: 2.2 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 1.2

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Acts as an umbrella or resource body
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England,

Who it helps

Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
Other Defined Groups
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

3 employees

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	£3,439,000
National Lottery Community Fund	£174,450
Power to Change	£26,870
Tudor Trust	£10,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
£0	08/12/2023	Grant of £3,000 awarded through Scoping Grant programme. Paid via Pilgrim Trust/National Archives joint programme Archives Revealed (22871).
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
£1,712,000	31/03/2022	Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
Tudor Trust - Grant to ACRE
£10,000	14/10/2021	over one year towards a scoping/feasibility study for an advice service for trustees of village halls in rural England
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - ACRE (Action for Communities in Rural England) Network
£1,727,000	02/03/2021	The ACRE Network is the collective name for the 38 Rural Community Councils (RCCs) and their national umbrella body, ACRE. Network members are charitable local development agencies, based at county ....more The ACRE Network is the collective name for the 38 Rural Community Councils (RCCs) and their national umbrella body, ACRE. Network members are charitable local development agencies, based at county level, which support and enable initiatives in rural communities. Defra is supporting the Network with a grant in aid agreement for the 2020/21 financial year. Addition of a follow up survey of rural village and community halls. Strategic Outcomes 1. Up to date data to inform ACRE on the future support needs of rural village halls and community buildings so as to ensure continuity in their trusteeship and governance; 2. Identification of the financial resources needed available for rural village halls and community buildings post COVID-19.
National Lottery Community Fund - Safeguarding Support for Rural Communities and the ACRE Network during Covid-19
£69,500	26/08/2020 6	The funding will provide a focus on the wellbeing of people living in all rural areas of England especially those who are at risk of isolation and disadvantage and for whom rurality brings an ....more The funding will provide a focus on the wellbeing of people living in all rural areas of England especially those who are at risk of isolation and disadvantage and for whom rurality brings an additional challenge and cost to their daily lives. It is involved in all aspects of rural life including sustainability planning housing health transport broadband general services and fuel poverty.
National Lottery Community Fund - Action with Communities
£104,950	15/10/2019 36	Action with Communities
Power to Change - Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
£26,870	01/07/2019 12	Grant to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
Sport England - New Participation Partners - SG pilot
£200,000	24/10/2017 12	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'New Participation Partners - SG pilot'. This project lists its main activity as Multi Sports.
Sport England - New Participation Partners - SG Pilot
£200,000	24/10/2017 12	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled New Participation Partners - SG Pilot. This project lists its main activity as Multi Sports
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to ACRE
£15,000	12/10/2016 6	Towards costs for an exploratory study into the future function & form of support and representation for communities of place in England to meet their needs in the long term and provide an ....more Towards costs for an exploratory study into the future function & form of support and representation for communities of place in England to meet their needs in the long term and provide an effective voice for the sector.
National Lottery Community Fund - Village SOS Learning, Outreach and Engagement Campaign
£1,398,696	12/08/2014 24	Not Available

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 42-73

CHARLES COATS Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeships: HIGHNAM COMMUNITY CENTRE TRUST, GLOUCESTERSHIRE RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL, INDEPENDENCE TRUST,

FRANCIS JAMES PARK WEBSTER Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Farmer, Other trusteeships: VOLUNTARY ACTION CUMBRIA, BARROW FOOD BANK LIMITED,

GARRY JONES Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Chief Executive, Other trusteeship: THE DIRECTORY OF SOCIAL CHANGE,

GAVIN PARKER Appointed: 2023, Occupation: University Professor

HELEN SUSAN DOVEY Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Charity Ceo

IVAN PETER ANNIBAL Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Consultant, Other trusteeship: RURAL COMMUNITY ACTION NOTTINGHAMSHIRE,

JAMES MURRAY BLAKE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Charity Ceo, Other trusteeship: THE INTERNATIONAL ORGAN FESTIVAL SOCIETY LIMITED,

LOUISE OLIVIA BEATON Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Community Halls Consultant

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 26/03/1997, number: 1061568
Registered at Companies House on 19/03/1997, number: 03336101

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Other Regulators

Financial Conduct Authority

Policies in force

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Filing Record

20 returns made; all on time

Main office

Action with Communities in Rural E
Unit 2
The Quadrangle
Banbury Road
WOODSTOCK
Oxfordsh

Objectives

TO PROMOTE ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES IN RURAL AREAS IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

Defined Area of Benefit:

ENGLAND AND WALES.

Data Sources