Rural Services Community

THIS SERVICE IS FOR LOCAL GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS WHO ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

The Rural Services Network is an alliance of the SPARSE Rural special interest group made up of towards 100 Local Authorities and the Rural Services Partnership, a grouping of some 180 non local government organisations including Police Forces, Fire Services, Health Bodies, Housing Associations, Education Bodies and Transport Providers. We particularly concentrate on rural services which we feel needs particular attention at a time when major technological change is occurring and public services budgets are coming under more and more pressure. We are convinced joint working, pooling thoughts and lateral thinking is now going to be vital. We seek to act as a fulcrum organisation during this crucial period. At the same time we need to ensure that government understands the cost pressure that distance and sparsity of settlement brings on those providing services in rural areas and that there has to be some sense of realism of dealing with issues from this viewpoint. The group therefore provides the vehicle for representation, the establishment of joint service working and the dissemination of best practice in service to England’s predominately rural communities.


The Community Group comprises locality organisations who have agreed to be local community members and work with the main network. Click here to view these members.

Register

For free access to the Rural Services Community (your local organisation must be in membership)

Enquire

Is my local organisation entitled to free membership?

Apply to be a member

Information on how your organisation can join the Rural Services Partnership

AccessCommunityAccess to services (outreach)

We are doing a lot of work in this area around the availability of public services in rural localities.

We are also looking at the big question of digital inclusion and broadband speeds in remote areas

FairerFunding2Fairer funding

We are the only organisation arguing about the 'rural premium', the addition cost of serving rural areas because of distance etc, and we are very keen to piece together the composite picture across all services. We have been working with Plymouth University with this aim.

This is an ongoing area of work and it will be extremely useful to have community input as we proceed.

We will send out surveys seeking to establish evidence periodically so that those who may wish to give a view are able to do so.

RuralServicesReport-CommunityRural Services Report

We will present a detailed periodic statement on the state of rural services in England harnessing local rural experiences.

Local input into this area of work is massively helpful.

CommunityProfiling-CommunityCommunity Profiling

We will investigate how we can assist in providing comparisons from existing data in respect of rural or local operation. This will allow comparisons between localities.

Manifesto-CommunityManifesto

We have established a detailed Rural Services Manifesto setting our views across the range of rural topics.

NewsService-CommunityNews Service

RSNonline provides a very detailed rural news and website service. It serves over 20,000 people weekly. The website is updated daily.

The weekly email rural news digest, Rural Focus, provides the most comprehensive coverage of rural service issues in the country.

RuralPortal-CommunityRural Portal

A point of reference to all current rural research from the other key rural websites.

BestPractice-CommunityBest Practice Service and Surveys

‘Calls for Evidence’ service and a catalogue of information across the rural hot topics.

We welcome your views on issues as they arise. Local information is really valuable.

FuelPovertyCommunityRural Fuel Poverty

A detailed report is currently being prepared and three pilot studies underway which will give focus, and provide information about, this essential rural issue.

Parliamentary GroupParliamentary

The Rural Services Network facilitates an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Services to give Westminster focus to the rural concerns expressed in our Rural Manifesto. A quarterly news bulletins to rural MPs enables network members to highlight specific issues.

GrantPostsignpostingGrants Aid Signposting

We will provide to local organisations advice in relation to current grant funds which might assist them.
rsnsignpost

The Community Group is established to ensure the arguments, thoughts and aspirations are not just confined to national, regional and area forums but are able to harvest the local viewpoint, local experience, and grass root opinion. Local membership will be free to organisations whose Principal Local Authority or Education Authority is a member of SPARSE Rural or whose parent body is a member of the Rural Services Partnership or the Rural Services Network. In that way alone we have in membership over 9,000 Local Councils, Schools and Business and Community organisations who have agreed to join. Others can join for free if they have a host and tell us they want to be involved. If you do not have a host the annual subscription fee is £60. We will give you information and the chance to input and be heard. You will see above the ground we seek to cover through the Community Group. Thank you for your support.

How we operate

Our major documents

Our promotional material

Community Organisations in membership

See who is in membership of the Community Group

Enquire

Is my local organisation entitled to free membership?

Apply to be a member

(Authority not in membership)

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