RSN Economic Profiling Service – Summer 2018
– Unemployment Claimant Flows as an Indicator of Economic Performance JSA claimant flows analysis (September 18) JSA claimants as percentage of working population analysis (March 18) 2018 Vulnerability index
Spotlight on Rural Housing – October 2018
A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network and produced in partnership with the Rural Housing Alliance, highlighting a selection of current rural housing issues and opportunities Social Housing Green Paper – views sought A New Deal for Social Housing, the government’s Green Paper on social housing, was published on 14 […]
Brexit impacts on the countryside
The Financial Times reported on the possibilities for the British countryside post-Brexit. The article laments that the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) used lucrative incentives to encourage British farmers to cultivate huge swathes of land, leaving the countryside bereft of unmanaged, truly wild landscapes. The article highlighted the benefits of the Government’s proposed Agriculture Bill, […]
Loneliness GP strategy announced
On Monday 15th, the Prime Minister launched a cross-Government strategy to tackle loneliness. As part of the plan GPs will be able to refer patients experiencing loneliness to community activities and voluntary services such as cooking lessons, walking groups and art lessons, known as ‘social prescribing’. The Government has also partnered with Royal Mail in […]
Rural schools face ‘perfect storm’
The Guardian and The Independent reported that budget cuts in rural schools mean that many headteachers take on additional roles such as gardening, cleaning and driving the school minibus. More than four in 10 rural schools in England are undersubscribed and facing increasingly squeezed budgets, forcing headteachers to complete a variety of extra tasks, according […]
Report uncovers growing health crisis
The Care Quality Commission annual report has highlighted growing waiting lists, A&E delays and record dissatisfaction levels with GPs, according to the BBC. The patient group, National Voices, said the report should be a ‘loud alarm bell’ and that the system was ‘malfunctioning’. In particular, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Wirral and Portsmouth were highlighted […]
RSP Member – Young Somerset
Young Somerset Young Somerset is the largest youth work charity in Somerset and their mission is to put young people first. Their aim is to work with young people, encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves and become actively involved in shaping the communities in which they live. Their vision is a Somerset where […]
Local bus journeys at a 12-year low
New figures from the Department of Transport show that the number of local bus journeys has fallen to a 12-year low, according to the Guardian. This fall coincides with a 55% increase in the average fare price. In addition, a recent study by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) revealed that many areas are without […]
Over a million people live in “food deserts”
The Guardian reported on a study by the Social Market Foundation think tank and Kellogg’s, revealing that more than a million people in the UK live in “food deserts” – places where poverty, poor public transport and a dearth of big supermarkets severely limit access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables. Anna Taylor, chief executive […]
Rural housing crisis solutions
PoliticsHome reported on a fringe event at the Conference organised by the CPRE and the National Housing Federation looking at the best way to increase the number of affordable homes in rural England. Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough, highlighted that the UK housing crisis is not solely an urban problem and that, first and foremost, […]
