WERN members, partners and supporters are invited to attend our Annual General Meeting on 1st December 2026, where we will reflect on a year of progress, celebrate key achievements and share our priorities for the future.
During 2025-26, WERN continued to support rural communities across Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire while developing a refreshed strategic direction focused on tackling disadvantage and helping communities thrive. We set three key priorities: improving access to services and opportunities, supporting good homes, and promoting health and wellbeing.
Our AGM is an opportunity to hear about what we’ve been doing and the things we’ve achieved over the past year, including:
Supporting People to Live Well - Our Village Agents service remained at the heart of our work, helping people facing isolation, poor health and financial hardship access the support they need. The service recorded more than 1100 engagements in the first six months of the year, while continued investment from local authorities helped secure its future. We also expanded our health and wellbeing work through a new programme supporting local micro-enterprises that provide community-based wellbeing services.
Tackling Rural Disadvantage - WERN secured a £99,563 National Lottery Community Fund grant to deliver an ambitious programme addressing rural disadvantage across the West of England. The project will bring together communities, policymakers and partners to tackle barriers relating to employment, housing, access to services, health and wellbeing.
Supporting Affordable Housing - Through our Rural Housing programme, we continued to help communities identify local housing needs and explore opportunities for affordable homes for local people. The programme's impact was recognised through confirmation of continued funding for 2026-27.
Improving Access and Inclusion - WERN continued to support community transport and rural bus initiatives, helping improve access to essential services and activities. We also secured continued funding for our Tech Ready digital inclusion programme, providing one-to-one support to help residents build confidence online.
Strengthening Community Assets - We continued to support village halls and community organisations that play a vital role in rural life’
We will also be discussing plans for the coming year and very much welcome the views of members.
Join us
Our AGM is being held online on Tuesday 1 December and starts at 10:30 and is open to members.
Membership of WERN is FREE. If you would like to become a member and join us for our AGM please email: dick@wern.org.uk.
Stay Connected
If you are a WERN member but do not currently subscribe to our mailing list, we encourage you to sign up HERE. Subscribers receive regular updates on our work, funding opportunities, events, consultations and rural policy developments, ensuring they stay informed and connected throughout the year.