Cheshire Community Action
Cheshire Community Action (CCA) is a registered charity that serves the rural communities of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington by assisting in the development of sustainable and vibrant communities where people want to live and work.
Cheshire Community Council (former name), developed from the Cheshire Rural Community Council (CRCC), which had been established in 1930. It was a voluntary body which aimed to co-ordinate a variety of statutory and voluntary organisations at national, regional and local levels, to improve the standard of life in communities throughout Cheshire (initially of the administrative county). In 2008 it changed its name to Cheshire Community Action. [1]
Throughout the period from 1930 onwards, the Council was particularly concerned with the advancement of education; the furtherance of health; and the relief of poverty, distress and sickness. By 1938, however, the CRCC was involved in such wide ranging activities, reorganisation was necessary for greater efficiency, and to attract more funding.
In 1953 the word "rural" was dropped from the title, so the Council's work could encompass technical developments that had become part of rural life, and ties between town and country strengthened. The constitution was altered to include the geographical county ie the 4 county boroughs. In the same year the CCC moved to Bishop Lloyd's House, Watergate Street, Chester.
The Council was based on a committee structure which comprised a Council (known as the Grand Council of the CRCC), Executive Committee, and Finance Committee (known as the Finance and General Purposes Committee by the CCC in 1959). In addition there were County Committees. Under the CRCC these were: Adult Education and Health; Juvenile Organisations; and Young Farmers Clubs.
Under the CCC, new County Committees were set up and their numbers grew. Not only did the names of the Committees change but their structure and function.
In addition, the CCC provided the Secretariat for the following autonomous organisations: Cheshire Association of Parish Councils; Cheshire Playing Fields Association; Community Council Publications Trust Ltd; (and, by 1981, also the Cheshire Voluntary Initiative Community Chest).
Their current mission is “to be the leading organisation supporting the rural communities of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington by providing excellent services in a flexible and independent way”. CCA was formed in 1930.[2]
It is a member of the Action with Communities in Rural England network of 38 Rural Community Councils in England.