What is Cheshire Rural Trust?

Cheshire Rural Trust was formed in 2002 as an immediate response to the foot and mouth crisis and with a clear remit to support farms, people and businesses facing financial hardship because of the devastating impact of the disease.

Why is it still going?

CRT’s initial task was to provide small grants quickly to farming and rural businesses struggling to cope and survive because of the impact of foot and mouth disease.
Through the hard work of the Trust and the generosity of supporters it was able to provide much-needed relief while businesses and communities began the lengthy rebuilding process.

It was during this work that trustees realised the full impact on isolation and deprivation and decided to carry on their work to continue to sustain communities in need and to enable living and working in rural Cheshire to remain a viable option for people of all ages.

Tackling social isolation and deprivation is now the full focus of the Trust’s work.

What does the Trust do?

The Trust offers small grants quickly to people suffering financial hardship and to those wanting to improve the quality of life of local communities.

It particularly looks to support projects which bring communities together to help combat the impact of deprivation and isolation and which help to develop and sustain rural life.

Its strength is its ability to quickly provide small grants to where they are needed most. The maximum grants awarded are £5,000 for groups and £2,000 for individuals.

What is rural deprivation and isolation?

Many of the problems facing rural communities are the same as those in urban areas, but arise out of a different set of circumstances e.g. poor access to public transport; lack of access to services, further education and jobs; unaffordable housing; rising crime and antisocial behaviour to name but a few.

Take shopping for instance. Out-of-town retail parks and supermarkets offer great choice and affordable products – but only if you have a car to get there. Rural car ownership is substantially lower than urban and public transport provision much more sparse, so many people in rural communities don’t have access to the benefits of bulk buying and greater choice.

They depend instead on smaller village shops that can neither compete with supermarket prices nor carry the range of products. So, the people who can afford it least are the ones who have to use the relatively more expensive village shops.

Competition from large retailers has also eroded the commercial viability of many small shops, post offices and chemists. In simple terms, they can’t afford to keep going, are forced to close and another local service is lost.

Limited transport options also impact upon education because it restricts young people’s choices after the age of 16; limits the choice of jobs and even access to health services.

Isn’t Cheshire a wealthy county?

Cheshire is not the rural idyll many people believe it to be. The county is perceived to be wealthy and therefore doesn’t attract the levels of Government financial support needed to tackle areas suffering significant poverty and deprivation.

Limited opportunities, isolation and lack of access to services are major issues, particularly for the elderly and families with young children. Many farmers, particularly tenant farmers, are only just managing to survive and because of the precarious nature of rural economies, when farmers struggle so do other rural businesses and communities.

Cheshire Rural Trust is committed to supporting rural communities to ensure sustainability and viability for the future.

Helping Cheshire People to Help Cheshire People