Project Director: Peter Wells
Project Duration: 2011-2012

Village SOS was a programme of the Big Lottery Fund undertaken in partnership with BBC ONE. The programme aimed to provide a new model for the revitalisation of disadvantaged rural communities in the United Kingdom. The programme supported the funding of 10 village schemes across the UK, the deployment of a 'village champion' to work with these villages over 12 months, and for six of the schemes to feature in a BBC ONE television series. The evaluation explored:

• the role of the village champions
• the effectiveness of the learning campaign
• how taking part in a televised programme affected achievements

The project team also included Carmel O'Toole (Arts Computing Engineering and Sciences, Sheffield Hallam University).