Action in rural Sussex
Action in rural Sussex
Since 1931 AirS has worked to demonstrate there is a better way of doing things: community-led change across Sussex. Our aim is to help communities, landowners and their locally elected representatives achieve local ambitions for active, balanced and sustainable places in which to live and work.
- We support community-led change to build resilience in rural Sussex.
- We believe in the potential for local action to meet local needs and aspirations.
- We celebrate the benefits of community participation and decision making.
AirS believes that an important part of overcoming resignation and disadvantage is the sense that there is the capacity for change. That together people and places can alter their environment for the better.
We are looking for opportunities to better coordinate our work to develop significant change with our rural communities.
What we do
Our services enable a range of projects with rural communities. These can be categorised into two types:
- A (services 1 and 2) - Contractual projects
- B (services 4,5,6 and 7) - Diversified programs.
(1) Villagers Connect is a community development project aimed at fostering strong, connected, and empowered rural communities, particularly supporting people over 65. The objective is for the process of ABCD to improve the lives of an ageing community across three parishes.
(2) The Lost Woods team are working with underserved community groups and people with challenges around physical and mental health, and learning disabilities by connecting them to pockets of ancient woodland between Storrington and Lewes.
(4) The Sussex Housing Hub is an enabling team that provides technical advice and support to community-led affordable housing groups and projects.
(5) The Rural Housing Enabling Service links parish councils, community groups and landowners to specialist housing associations and local authorities.
(6) The Village Halls & Community Buildings Advisory Service supports the trustee and management committees of village halls or community buildings.
(7) The Community Led Planning Service works to produce parish plans, neighbourhood plans and Priority Statements. Thus work respond to the rural failures of devolved statutory planning to create local benefit.
Our Mission
To inspire and enable community-led change that transforms and strengthens rural communities
Our Aims
- Create places where people can connect and thrive
- Enable communities to improve their wellbeing and resilience
- Champion the voices and futures of rural communities