30/04/25 - RSN Seminar: Rural Economies

- To download the Agenda for this seminar click here

POST EVENT:

PRESENTATIONS

• Kerry Booth, Chief Executive, Rural Services Network, 'Welcome & Introduction to the topic of Rural Economies'

• Lydia Rusling, Director of Place and Prosperity, Melton Borough Council, Catalyst for the Countryside: Investing in Melton’s Rural Economy ‘Transforming tradition into opportunity through innovation, enterprise, and community prosperity’

• Alex Howell, Devolution and Local Growth Adviser, LGA (Local Government Association), 'Rural proofing the Industrial Strategy'

• ---

  John Longden, Chief Executive, Pub is the Hub, ‘Pubs, the beating heart of rural communities – growing local services and increasing social value’

USEFUL LINKS FROM THE SESSION

Statistical Digest of Rural England
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistical-digest-of-rural-england

Rural Digest A-Z
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-to-z-index-statistical-digest-of-rural-england/a-to-z-index-for-the-statistical-digest-of-rural-england

Plan for Change
https://www.gov.uk/missions  

Rural Services All Party Parliamentary Group
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/category/appg

Delivering for Rural Campaign
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/winning-the-rural-vote

Rural Economies Chapter including useful resources and further reading
https://rsnonline.org.uk/images/manifesto-2023/rural-economies-chapter.pdf

RSN Economy related news and hot topics
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/tag/rural-economies

Will Metro Mayors deliver for the countryside?
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/will-metro-mayors-deliver-for-the-countryside

Rural Economy, a sleeping giant worth £19bn
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/rural-economy-a-sleeping-giant-worth-19-billion

Rural as a region, the hidden challenge for levelling up
https://rsnonline.org.uk/images/publications/rural-as-a-region-the-hidden-challenge-for-levelling-up.pdf

Government responds to RSN thoughts on the Industrial Strategy
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/governments-response-to-rural-services-network-industrial-strategy-update

Rural-Urban Classification
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/rural-urban-classification

Rural Shop Report 2025
https://www.acs.org.uk/research/rural-shop-report-2025

Community Business Impact Report 2024
https://plunkett.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Impact-Report-2024.pdf

Speaker Links

Discover Melton https://discovermelton.com/    

Melton: Taking health checks out to farmers

Stockyard Projects, Rural Innovation in Action

Rural Food Hub Network

State of the Borough Report:
https://www.melton.gov.uk/media/aqcbxanj/2024-state-of-melton-online.pdf

Local Government Association, https://www.local.gov.uk/

Devolution and LGA Hub
https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/devolution/devolution-and-lg-reorganisation-hub  

Potential Prize - Why local growth and prosperity matter
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/devolution-first-five-point-plan-support-local-growth-and-prosperity#introduction-why-local-growth-and-prosperity-matter-

Research into the unique challenges facing coastal and rural areas
https://www.local.gov.uk/rural-recognition-recovery-resilience-and-revitalisation#download-the-full-report

A guide on the role and future skills needs of economic development teams
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/guide-role-and-future-skills-needs-economic-development-teams

Agri-food and Rural Business Group
https://www.gfirstlep.com/about-us/agri-food-and-rural/

Local Industrial Strategies, lesson learned
https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/LIS%20Lessons%20Learned%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf

Brain Drain and a lack or premises, key challenges
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/how-well-do-you-know-your-microbusinesses#the-role-that-councils-play

How local transport infrastructure influences economic inclusion
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/how-local-transport-infrastructure-influences-economic-inclusion

Industrial Strategy Green Paper
https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/briefings-and-responses/invest-2035-uks-modern-industrial-strategy

Future of Growth Funding
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/future-growth-funding

Learning from LEP integration
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/learning-lep-integration

Report: Local Green Jobs Report
https://www.local.gov.uk/report-local-green-jobs-report

Supporting microbusinesses
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/how-well-do-you-know-your-microbusinesses#the-role-that-councils-play

Transport and inclusion
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/how-local-transport-infrastructure-influences-economic-inclusion#how-transport-can-influence-life-outcomes

Local industrial strategies online hub
https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/devolution/devolution-online-hub/local-growth/local-industrial-strategies-online-hub

Pub is the Hub
https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/ 

Growing local services
https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/grow-your-pubs-local-services/  

Social value
https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/join-inn-last-orders-for-loneliness/ 

Pub is the Hub Funding
https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/community-services-fund/ 

Community Ownership
https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/community-ownership/

Social Value Engine
https://socialvalueengine.com/

Notes from the seminar can be downloaded by clicking here