Researching for a sustainable & affordable future

At CPRE we’re campaigning for more affordable homes that deliver what rural communities need. We spoke with Annet Twinokwesiga, a rural affordable housing research volunteer whose efforts are helping to ensure a new generation can call the countryside their home.

From the Ugandan countryside to the English countryside…

Annet grew up in a predominantly rural town and spent most of her childhood in the countryside on her family’s farm in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her rural upbringing in Uganda gave her an appreciation of ‘the beauty of living in the countryside’ from a young age, as well as an understanding of how rural communities ‘conserve different traditions and ways of living’.

‘In the UK and elsewhere, urbanisation is rapidly increasing and impacting the sustainability and liveability of rural landscapes. I’m interested in how we could transition to desirable development that’s just and sustainable,’ she tells us.

Annet has pursued her interest in ensuring a more sustainable future for communities and the countryside: ‘I’m currently a master’s student studying for my postgraduate degree in MSc Spatial Planning and Development at the Henley Business School, University of Reading, and have come across CPRE in some of our university lectures, including when talking about social housing.’

In fact, in December 2023, Annet attended the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) Nathaniel Lichfield lecture about rural land use, where she was introduced to Paul Miner, our head of policy and planning at CPRE. Annet was keen to hear about the contemporary issues facing the countryside: ‘I spoke to Paul about the diversity of different rural land uses in countryside planning.’

After the lecture, she connected with Paul on LinkedIn, and later spotted a rural affordable housing research volunteer opportunity that he re-posted: ‘I had some spare time alongside my studies…and so I applied.’ Annet has now been volunteering with CPRE for over five months and is enjoying being part of our active campaigns: ‘It feels very significant that my role is part of a national campaign that’s live and ongoing. I hope to contribute towards the successful implementation of rural affordable housing for those most in need with this research.’

The personal impact of volunteering

As a rural affordable housing research volunteer, Annet has been investigating the different perceptions of social housing in rural areas. She hopes that ‘my contribution has national significance and helps to influence local politicians to better respond to the needs of rural communities. It’s great that I get to play a role in this process’.

Annet feels that ‘there are key takeaways from the experience’ and notes that ‘I’ve only volunteered for a few months, but I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge from my colleagues, especially about the reality of the rural housing crisis in the UK in numbers and the associated systematic ableism’. However, she also feels that volunteering with CPRE has had a more personal effect on her: ‘The research I’m part of has impacted me as a person living in the UK for the first time.’

Indeed, Annet has gained a deeper insight into rural living in the UK: ‘when I take the bus through rural communities, I can see and understand the different social housing in them.’

‘To conduct research about rural affordable housing, it’s important for me to understand how people live in the countryside and connect and compare this with what’s written about rural housing.’, Annet tells us. ‘Community perceptions of social housing are really important to debunk the presumed myths on the topic.’ The research has also connected her with the local community: ‘It also becomes part of my ongoing conversations with others in the Reading community. I can relate to their lived experiences of housing through the work I’ve done.

‘As someone who wants to qualify as a planner, this ‘learning by doing’ experience has really impacted me.’

Inspired and motivated by others

In her role, Annet volunteers alongside a number of other research volunteers to support our rural policy and campaigns officer at CPRE, Brad Taylor: ‘I was very excited about the opportunity and to work alongside the other volunteers in the team,’ she tells us.

She feels that the whole experience has been a learning process: ‘We each have a part of the research that we’re working on, but we also learn so much from each other during our team meetings and pick up other areas of research to explore too. Brad has done well at leading the team and is always willing to answer our questions.’

‘My colleagues also inspire me: they’re so knowledgeable about wide-ranging rural housing topics and through this collaboration, I have access to resources beyond the theoretical knowledge offered on my degree programme.’

Looking ahead with hope

‘I have an idyllic, romanticised view of the countryside,’ Annet admits. ‘However I’m also a firm believer in development. I’ve come to understand the crisis facing the UK countryside – the differentiated rural economy and how development begins to change that.’

‘My hope is that it can be done better, and that people don’t lose their homes.’

‘There’s a dilemma between being progressive and preserving the countryside,’, Annet says. ‘We need to develop in a just and sustainable way, whilst not taking away from the people who live in and love the countryside.’ She believes that this is possible: ‘I’m someone who hopes for a better future.’

Annet is also hopeful about the power and role of volunteering in ensuring this better future: ‘I hope my story inspires others to volunteer- people should be doing this. Volunteering is a personal commitment, but there are so many learning benefits to it… I believe many people have ambitions and ways they can help.’

Find out more

If you think you’d like to volunteer for CPRE like Annet and stand with the countryside, take a look at our volunteering pages and current opportunities, or get in touch with us at volunteeringteam@cpre.org.uk. You can find out more about our rural affordable housing campaign here.