Latest News
08 Jun 2020
Domestic Violence and homelessness in rural areas during lockdown
“Some rise in reports of domestic abuse during lockdown in rural areas and concerns over those unable to escape potentially abusive situations during lockdown.” That’s the message coming from Graham...
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08 Jun 2020
Gigabit Rural Broadband Voucher Scheme
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is offering vouchers to those in rural communities who are disadvantaged by poor broadband Gigabit-capable broadband connections offer the fastest and most...
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08 Jun 2020
Issues raised at the 5th June meeting of the Rural Impacts Stakeholder Forum (RISF)
The Rural Impacts Stakeholder Forum (RISF) was established in March 2020 to enable open and regular dialogue between key rural stakeholder organisations and Defra on the impact of COVID-19 on...
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08 Jun 2020
New statistics suggest regional epicentres of COVID-19
Several outlets report on the widening north-south COVID-19 divide, with fatalities and new infections far more common in regions outside of London Research shows new infections are nearly twice as...
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08 Jun 2020
Respect the countryside, plead farmers
The Times reports that farmers have issued a plea to visitors to respect the countryside after widespread reports of litter and human waste being left in fields as more people...
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08 Jun 2020
Fears for post offices after subsidy is slashed
The Telegraph reports that ministers have been accused of failing to protect the Post Office beyond 2021 which could put the future of 11,500 branches at risk The Government insisted...
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08 Jun 2020
Gaps in R&D spend fuel UK regional divides, report says
The New Statesman reports that differences in research and development spending is fuelling the economic divide between different regions of the UK. A recent report shows that the North of...
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08 Jun 2020
Cash payments fall 15 percent as half of all UK transactions done on card
Just 23 percent of all purchases made in the UK last year involved cash, according to a new report published by Yahoo Finance Cash payments have declined by 15 percent...
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08 Jun 2020
Defra food vulnerability update
Below is is this week’s update on Defra’s work on food for vulnerable people: Non-Shielded Vulnerable: 42 Local Authority entities covering 86 LA areas are currently onboarded onto the supermarket...
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08 Jun 2020
The Pub Defender and the Forum of Private Business launch new support organisation dedicated to the pub trade
The Forum of Private Business, working with the Pub Defender Dave Mountford, have launched The Forum of British Pubs Focusing on providing support to local pubs as they struggle through...
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