deprivation

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27 Jan 2026

Five Questions To Ask Your MP Ahead Of The Local Government Settlement

With decisions on the local government finance settlement expected next week, now is a crucial moment for rural communities to make their voices heard. MPs play a key role in...

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Rural Lens Review: Indices of deprivation 2025
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10 Nov 2025

Rural Lens Review: Indices of deprivation 2025

The Government has published the statistical release detailing the English Indices of Deprivation 2025. Alongside this, a new report, the English indices of deprivation 2025 :Rural Report has also been...

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03 Nov 2025

New IMD Acknowledges Challenges Of Measuring Rural Need

The Government has published the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD 2025) – the seventh update of England’s official measure of multiple deprivation – alongside, for the first time, a...

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20 Oct 2025

Free School Meals Data Failing To Reflect Real Disadvantage

A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to...

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30 Sep 2025

Pretty Poverty in Cornwall: Report Exposes Rural Hardship

A new report has warned that deprivation in Cornwall’s rural communities is being overlooked because government measures fail to capture the reality of rural life. The Pretty Poverty Report: Cornwall...

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14 Jan 2025

Urgent: Submit Your Input on Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement by 15th January

As the national champion for rural services, the RSN is committed to advocating for equitable funding across England’s rural communities. Today we will be submitting our detailed response to the...

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20 Dec 2024

Rural Financial Crisis Deepens: RSN Analysis Exposes Stark Funding Inequities in Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement

The Rural Services Network (RSN) has conducted an initial analysis of the recent Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and is deeply concerned about the implications for England’s rural communities. While...

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09 Dec 2024

Local Government Funding

The importance of rural councils coming together was highlighted last week with an urgent meeting called by the Rural Services Network of local authority members. Following the Local Government Finance...

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02 Dec 2024

Local Government Funding Reforms Announced

Last week the Government published the policy statement for Local Government Finance 2025-2026.  This included outline details of the headline allocations through the Provisional Settlement for Local Government for which...

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12 Feb 2024

University of Lincoln Secures £10.9m for Rural and Coastal Health Research

The University of Lincoln has secured a £10.9m grant to conduct research on health issues affecting rural and coastal communities. The areas in question experience shorter life expectancies and higher...

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