About us

Set up in 1924, the organisation started life as Derbyshire Rural Community Council (DRCC). We became incorporated as a Registered Company, Limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity in England in 1997.

DRCC became RAD in 2010. As a rural community council, the name confused many who believed we were part of county or local authority councils. As a charity and a lead partner in the county's voluntary sector, the name change to Rural Action Derbyshire seemed like the right move.

RAD aims to improve the lives of those living and working in Derbyshire, and is a member of ACRE - Action with Communities in Rural England, a network of 38 organisations that provide vital services to rural people across the country.

Our Vision

"We believe that no-one should be unfairly disadvantaged because they live in a rural area."

Despite its idyllic image, rural communities have pockets of isolation and deprivation, difficulties accessing services and a growing older population. Specialist services and the delivery of these services is being shaped around more populated, urban areas. Poor transport links reduce access to many of these vital services as well as to jobs and training.

Our Ambition

To address rural disadvantage so that rural communities are sustainable, vibrant and accessible to everyone regardless of age, background or income.

Our Mission

To improve the quality of life for Derbyshire residents, by empowering people in rural communities to take action to address disadvantage, become more sustainable and increase local control.

We make our beneficiaries' lives better by:

• offering advice, support and training to individuals and communities,
• providing transport options to help people get to work, and
• running an oil buying scheme to help keep energy costs down for more isolated properties.

Our Strategic Aims

1. To help remove barriers that prevent people from taking up opportunities, living well and participating in daily life.
2. To enable communities to develop more control, protect and develop community assets and build resilience and community spirit.
3. To address rural disadvantage particularly for vulnerable or low-income groups.
4. To support rural economic development and sustainable rural communities.
5. To grow and develop Rural Action Derbyshire to secure its future sustainability.

What we do

We have eight key areas of activity:

• Wheels to Work - helping people get to work or training
• Financial Inclusion - working with partners to help address financial disadvantage
• Community Oil Buying Scheme - helping 'off-gas' properties have access to affordable heating oil
• Village Halls Support - providing expert advice for the volunteers that run village halls and community buildings
• Rural Domestic Abuse Awareness - raising awareness around rural domestic abuse, including free training for people working or living in Derbyshire
• Food Poverty - working with groups around the county to address food poverty and support food banks.
• Digital Inclusion - helping to reduce the county's digital divide
• Rural Housing - providing independent support and advice to help improve access to affordable housing 

As well as our project work, RAD is part of a number of partnerships and represents the Voluntary Sector on a number of networks to help promote the wonderful work of the sector throughout Derbyshire and to ensure the large rural parts of Derbyshire have a voice.

If you have a question or query about RAD and its work...

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