A national celebration is underway to shine a light on the vital role village halls play in rural life with Parbold, West Lancashire, hosting the first event of the campaign.
Village Halls Week, now in its eighth year, is honouring more than 10,000 village halls across England during this week-long event, highlighting the 'enormous positive impact that these often-unassuming buildings can have on rural health and wellbeing'.
Led by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the 2026 campaign focuses on how village halls help people live well and enable connection in rural areas that so often lack other forms of social environment.
Corinne Pluchino, chief executive of ACRE, said: "Village Halls Week is always an important milestone in our calendar, and we are proud to have chosen health and wellbeing as the focus of this year’s event, as we know these buildings have a vital role to play in helping communities to live well.
"So often, the health of rural people is put at a disadvantage purely because of where they live, with travel to hospitals taking twice as long on average for those living outside a big town or city.
"Village halls can help to bring healthcare closer to rural communities and many of them are already supporting rural wellbeing.
"We want to use this week to shine a light on all the community activities, be it keep-fit classes, parent and baby mornings or blood pressure clinics, that are making a real and worthwhile difference to the lives of so many."
ACRE is the only national charity for rural communities and works closely with a network of 37 member charities in rural communities across England to campaign for change, enable local action and unlock support for people most in need.
The official launch of Village Halls Week took place on Friday, March 13, at Parbold Village Hall in Lancashire.
Ashley Dalton, MP for West Lancashire, attended the launch and spoke with ACRE representatives and local trustees about how the venue not only contributes to community life, but also supports residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Ms Dalton said: "Village halls do so much for the communities they serve, and in recent years their value and worth has been clear to see.
"Whether it was doubling up as a vaccination clinic at the height of the pandemic or providing a space for members of the community to meet and reduce isolation, village halls have always been there to bridge the gap, providing care, support, and reassurance right in the hearts of people’s communities.
"I’m incredibly proud of our village halls in West Lancashire, and their role in supporting and maintaining local communities – something that I am equally passionate about.
"ACRE’s Village Halls Week is a fantastic initiative, and I would strongly encourage my constituents in West Lancashire to show support to their own village hall in whatever way they can.
"Not just this week, but as part of their everyday lives and the communities they live in."
ACRE has invited participating communities to organise events that link to one or more of the five steps to mental wellbeing – connecting, exercising, learning, giving and noticing – that are recommended by experts within the NHS.
Halls are hosting a wide range of activities throughout the week, including mindfulness sessions, healthy eating classes, first aid courses, and charity bingo nights.
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Ms Pluchino said: "We were delighted that Ashley was able to join us for our launch event, and we welcome her longstanding commitment to improving access to healthcare for local people, especially those living in rural areas."
Sponsorship for the event, which runs until Sunday 22 March, has been generously supplied by Utility Aid, which provides energy help and advice to communities up and down the country, as well as Hallmaster, whose innovative venue booking system enables teams working in rural buildings to easily manage their calendars of events.
More information about Village Halls Week and the broader work of ACRE can be found at www.acre.org.uk.
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