In the 1990’s ARC was established as a subsidiary charity of the RASE. It became an independent charity in September 2010 with trustees drawn from the three founding partners.
The early work of the Centre focused on
• The rural church
• The rural community
• Town and country relations
• Agricultural ethics
• Rural communities overseas
Today ARC is the recognised rural resources unit for the Christian churches and a project base for innovative thinking and wide ranging work in support of the rural community and its churches.
Timeline
1972 ARC opened by The Queen
1972 The Church Pavilion set up as a home for the Churches at the annual Royal Show. The Pavilion became well known for its flowers and cups of tea until the Royal Show closed in 2009).
1975 Rural Housing Trust set up to provide housing for retired rural workers.
1981 Arthur Rank Training set up to provide work-based training for disadvantaged young people (ART is now an independent charity).
1982 Rural Ministry Induction Training set up (this popular course still runs twice-yearly in May and November as the Rural Ministry Course).
1986 Living Churchyard Project set up to encourage the use of churchyards as a community environmental resource and raise environmental awareness in the churches.
1995 Farm Crisis Network set up with the Agricultural Christian Fellowship to help farming families in crisis. FCN today has over 300 volunteers in regional groups across the country, and operates a national helpline (FCN is now an independent charity).
1996 Arthur Rank Centre Environmental Trust set up to provide access for churches and community groups to funding from the Landfill tax credit scheme.
1997 National Churches Tourism Group set up (now an independent charity).
2000 Green Ribbon Campaign launched to raise public awareness of the problems affecting farming, and encouraging support for the farming community.
2001 ARC-Addington Fund set up during the outbreak of Foot and Mouth to provide financial help to the victims of the crisis. ARC-A responded to over 20,500 appeals for help and distributed £10.3 million (Addington Fund is now an independent charity focusing on strategic housing for those who have to exit a non-viable rural business).
2002 Centre for Studies in Rural Ministry set up in partnership with the University of Wales and St. Deiniols Library to provide post-graduate study in rural ministry.
2002 Hidden Britain Centres set up to encourage economic regeneration through community owned and led tourism schemes. HBC ran a pilot project in Cumbria before being rolled out nationally. Altogether 46 communities ran projects in the South East, Cumbria, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Wales and Cornwall (Hidden Britain is now an independent organisation).
2004 Eco-Congregation moved to the ARC to be developed as an initiative to raise community awareness of environmental issues through action by local churches (Eco-Congregation continues to run with A Rocha).
2004 Computers for Rural People set up to provide rural communities, individuals and groups with high quality, fully-refurbished second hand computer equipment at very competitive prices.
2005 National Care Farming Initiative set up in partnership with Harper Adams University College, University of Essex and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens to promote the therapeutic use of farming practices (Care Farming UK was recently launched as an independent charity).
2007 ARC helped found the Rural Stress Information Network in 1996 and in 2007 brought its helpline in-house as the Rural Stress Helpline, a confidential listening service for rural people.
2008 Rural Life and Faith set up to identify and fill gaps in national training provision for rural mission and ministry.
