Community Buildings / Housing

Supporting Dorset’s Rural Communities: Housing, Halls & Health Hubs

Helping rural communities in Dorset thrive through affordable housing, vibrant village halls, and inclusive health & wellbeing services.

Who We Support & What We Do

Across rural Dorset, we work alongside local people, volunteers, and community groups to protect and strengthen the social fabric of village life.
Our three core services address critical community needs:

  • Rural Housing Enabling: We help communities deliver small-scale, affordable homes that meet local needs and keep villages vibrant.

  • Village Halls Support: We guide hall volunteers through governance, funding, training, and accreditation via the nationally recognised Hallmark scheme.

  • Rural Service Hubs: We empower community buildings to become welcoming, inclusive health and wellbeing centres through training, partnership support, and strategic advice.

We work with parish councils, trustees, funders, health providers, landowners and local residents to co-create sustainable rural solutions.

Rural Housing Enabling

Independent support and advice to help rural communities deliver small-scale affordable housing schemes in Dorset
Click to read more

Community Spaces / Buildings Support

Supporting the volunteers who keep our community spaces alive. DCA is also a Member of the ACRE network
Click to read more

Rural Service Hubs

Supporting Dorset’s Village Halls to Become Health & Wellbeing Centres
Click to read more

Why Choose Dorset Community Action?

Our reputation is built on local trust, independent guidance and national partnerships:

  • Community-led and collaborative – We empower local voices, not top-down models.
  • Dorset expertise – Decades of experience in rural Dorset gives us deep local insight.
  • Independent and impartial – We offer honest advice without vested interests.
  • Nationally connected – As part of the ACRE network and DEFRA-backed programmes, we bring policy insight and best practice.
  • Practical, tailored support – We meet you where you are, and walk with you every step of the way.

How Our Services Work

We offer a comprehensive journey of support designed around your community’s needs:

For Housing Projects:

  • Identify local needs through Housing Needs Surveys
  • Explore Rural Exception Sites
  • Build partnerships and navigate planning

For Village Halls:

  • Receive advice on compliance, governance, funding, and volunteer recruitment
  • Participate in the Hallmark quality assurance scheme
  • Access national tools, templates, and training

For Health & Wellbeing Hubs:

  • Build confidence in fundraising and service delivery
  • Connect with health and care providers
  • Access tailored training, events, and research insights

We offer one-to-one advice, workshops, peer learning events, and regular updates via newsletters and outreach.

Stay in Control

Shape your own housing and hall development process.

Increase Credibility

Accreditation and quality standards build funder and public trust.

Strengthen Sustainability

Build capacity, governance, and resilience for long-term impact.

No. Our services are suitable for halls and communities of all sizes.

Most services are funded and offered free to communities. Some Hallmark assessments may involve a small fee.

Not at all, we guide you through every step.

Common Concerns:

“We’re just volunteers – is this too much?”
We understand your pressures. Our flexible support meets you, at whatever stage you may be at.

“Will local people benefit from the housing?”
Yes. Homes are prioritised for people with a strong local connection.

“We don’t want big changes to our community.”
We focus on small-scale developments and community-led models that protect your community’s local character.

“We’re unsure where to begin.”
That’s why we’re here. Our expert team will walk alongside and guide you from day one.

What Others Say

“We were nervous about Hallmark, but it was more like a supportive conversation.”
Paul
Bridport
Templates and handouts were gold – we’ve already used them in funding bids.
Anon
Training Participant

Trusted by:
Dorset Council
DEFRA
ACRE
Local Parishes
Housing Associations
GPs
& over 700 people supporting community spaces across the County

Ready to Start?

For Rural Housing Support contact:

📧 jacqui.cuff@dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk

📞 07421 994590

For Village Halls & Community Spaces contact:

📧 caro.hart@dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk

📞 07827 996905

Let’s start the conversation. Together, we can build the homes, halls, and hubs Dorset needs.

Stay Connected:

Join our mailing list for updates, case studies and rural news.
Be part of a growing network working to keep Dorset’s rural communities thriving.

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If you need something extra, please use this quick ‘Make an Enquiry’ form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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