Executive
24 Mar 2026
Rural Poverty Report Highlights Hidden Hardship
A new report from the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) has highlighted the scale and nature of poverty across rural Britain, challenging assumptions that countryside communities are largely affluent. The...
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10 Feb 2026
Parliamentary Committee Examines Social Housing Conditions
A new report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has found that progress in improving the condition of social housing in England has largely stalled since the pandemic,...
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22 Sep 2025
Kerry Booth: Why Fair Funding Matters for Rural Councils
Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, was recently invited to contribute a blog reflecting on the funding challenges faced by rural councils. We are pleased to share...
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22 Sep 2025
Four Days, Hundreds Of Voices, Championing Rural Futures
This year’s National Rural Conference has drawn to a close after four days of debate, discussion and learning focused on the future of rural communities. Over the course of the...
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22 Sep 2025
Parliament Debates the Crisis in SEND Support
MPs from across the House last week debated the urgent need for reform to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, following a petition signed by more than 120,000...
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04 Aug 2025
Living in Rural England? Help Inform Future Utility Decisions
The Rural Services Network is encouraging rural residents to take part in important new research from Rural England CIC – and to help share it across their communities before the...
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16 Jun 2025
Celebrating RSN Member Success at the LGC Awards 2025
The Rural Services Network is delighted to celebrate the achievements of our member councils who were shortlisted or recognised at this year’s Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards — a flagship...
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16 Jun 2025
Government Responds to Committee’s Call for Improved Transport Accessibility
The House of Commons Transport Committee has published the Government’s response to its report Access Denied: Rights versus Reality in Disabled People’s Access to Transport. The report highlights the persistent...
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16 Jun 2025
A Coordinated Framework to End Digital Poverty
Digital exclusion affects up to 19 million people across the UK. As core services in education, healthcare, employment, and public life continue to move online, this exclusion is deepening existing...
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16 Jun 2025
Rural Housing Emergency
Affordable Housing Need 50% Greater in Rural Areas, Report Reveals England’s rural communities are experiencing an affordable housing crisis of unprecedented scale, with the need for affordable homes is more...
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