Independent charity Devon Communities Together (DCT) has just celebrated this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), where staff, trustees, members and stakeholders gathered to reflect on and to celebrate the charity’s achievements over the past year and our vision for the future.
Devon Communities Together is one of 38 Rural Community Councils in England and is a member of the national network Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).
Guests who attended the event, both in person at the Devon Young Farmers Rural Hub at Cheriton Bishop and online via live streaming, heard from DCT staff members who shared presentations on some of the work the charity has been doing. This includes developments on projects supporting gathering of community insights in partnership with Devon Public Health Community Outreach Team; the upskilling of young people in the construction industry; supporting communities with local climate emergency responses; and the beginning of Devon’s first ever Village Halls community asset map survey.
“We were all very proud to reflect on our achievements and we feel privileged to have been able to work alongside communities to create positive impact across rural Devon throughout the course of this turbulent year,” said DCT’s Chief Executive, Nora Corkery. “While we have been focused on supporting community groups, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to recover from the pandemic, we are also now turning our attention towards the current cost of living crisis and how that will impact our local communities. As the Rural Community Council of Devon, we will continue to do what we can to support those in rural communities and to help strengthen the resilience of communities across Devon.”
Nicola Gurr, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Devon Communities Together, commented: “As Chair of the Board of Trustees it was lovely to be able to celebrate so much that the team has achieved. It’s a real testimony to the hard work of everyone, all working to support people within our Devon communities. I am really excited about the work of the charity and the impact that we are having.”