Analysis & Commentary
25 Jan 2016
The importance of rural volunteers
The social value of volunteering is now finding its way onto the policy agenda. So what does this mean for rural communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. From providing services in your...
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03 Jan 2016
How to make rural devolution work
Approaches adopted by large or metropolitan cities will not necessarily suit county areas, finds Brian Wilson. Approaches adopted by large or metropolitan cities will not necessarily suit county areas, finds...
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14 Dec 2015
What next for rural careers education?
CAREERS guidance should be at the heart of schooling – it plays a vital part in helping young people navigate from education to work, says Jessica Sellick. Careers guidance should...
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06 Dec 2015
Can we save rural churches from closure?
Are rural communities ready and able to stop rural churches from closing? Jessica Sellick investigates. In recent weeks, media coverage has described rural clergy as ‘close to drowning’ under the...
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29 Nov 2015
Unravelled: Autumn Statement 2015
What the government’s 2015 Autumn Statement and Spending Review mean for local authorities. Chancellor George Osborne delivered his 2015 Autumn Statement and Spending Review to Parliament on 25 November 2015. This...
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09 Nov 2015
Mind the [rural] funding gap
With less funding now available, are rural communities feeling the pinch? Jessica Sellick investigates. Many community groups, parish and town councils, charities and social enterprises have relied upon grants programmes...
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19 Oct 2015
Just how much is nature worth?
Are we obscuring nature’s true value and putting the rural environment at even greater risk? Jessica Sellick investigates. Back in 2011, the government published the UK’s first National Ecosystem Assessment....
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11 Oct 2015
What’s going on with Post Office Locals?
Post Office Locals are meant to deliver a better service for customers, as well as savings for taxpayers. But something is going wrong, finds Brian Wilson. Post Office Locals are...
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04 Oct 2015
Growing challenge of the rural elderly
What can be done to tackle loneliness in older rural people? Jessica Sellick investigates. One in five elderly people in the UK feels they have no-one to turn to, according...
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31 Aug 2015
What’s (not) in the rural productivity plan
Is the government’s Rural Productivity Plan focusing on the right issues? Jessica Sellick investigates. The government says its Rural Productivity Plan reaffirms its commitment to rural communities. But is it...
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