6 November 2009
Alok Sharma, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Reading West, met today with the Reading-based Community Council for Berkshire (CCB) which is an independent charity and Rural Community Council that works across Berkshire and the South East.

Working closely with local unitary authorities, town and parish councils, funding agencies and voluntary & community groups CCB has helped support communities through a variety of focused areas of work including:

  • Supporting Community Planning and Action

  • Enabling Affordable Housing

  • Providing a Community Buildings Advice Service

  • Increasing Learning and Development Opportunities

  • Providing on-line information advice and services for Charities and Community Groups

  • Increasing Awareness and Action on Climate Change in Communities

  • Enabling Equality in Access to Education

  • Promoting Access to Health Food for All

  • Lobbying on Behalf of Communities

 
Elaine Cook, Director of CCB, said: “The CCB provides community development support committed to tackling social exclusion and developing urban and rural communities and we have a wealth of experience of working with a wide range of disadvantaged and minority groups.”

Elaine added: “We have worked on several projects in Reading West, including helping Holybrook Parish Council develop their community plan, and we look forward to working with Alok Sharma in identifying other projects in West Reading which will help to strengthen cohesion and build stronger local communities.”

Alok Sharma said: “It was a real pleasure to meet Elaine and her colleagues Tim Parry and Jon Cole to learn more about the valuable work that the CCB has been doing to support local communities over many years across Berkshire.”

Alok added: “Tackling social exclusion and encouraging individuals to participate in improving their own communities is part of the solution to fix our broken society and I very much look forward to supporting the work of the CCB in the future.”

For further information on the work of CCB and how they may be able to help your community visit www.actionforall.org.uk.

Photo: Alok Sharma with Elaine Cook and Tim Parry of CCB.