You may remember a village meeting at Home Farm in September, to get opinions on a possible new meeting/event space for Arlington.
The meeting was very well attended, people were generally enthusiastic and a long list of ideas and suggestions were put forward.
The NT had already been talking to a small group of villagers to redevelop the threshing barn and stables as a community hub.
After the positive village meeting, the National Trust offered the community a 49 year rent-free lease, will repair and maintain the external fabric, and build a new dedicated footpath from the car park to the space.
The community will be responsible for renovating, designing and maintaining the inside of the building.
It is all very exciting stuff and that small group of villagers has now become ARC (Arlington Rural Community).
ARC is set up as a CIC (Community Interest Company) a new style government-backed not-for-profit organisation to replace the trust/trustees model.
ARC has already been hard at work and are in talks with the National Lottery Community Fund, and have applied to the Sweetings Trust for initial funding for planning and design work.
We would like to convert an unused barn on National Trust land in Arlington North Devon to create a community hub for the people of Arlington so that we can meet, know and support one another.
We want our community barn space as a hub for a range of regular events to support and engage the local community.
Arlington CIC | Finding our community 
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