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Bookings are now officially open for the National Rural Conference 2025, which will take place online from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 September.
This is the Rural Services Network’s flagship event of the year, bringing together rural decision-makers, practitioners, and advocates for four days of live, interactive sessions focused on the future of rural communities.
Click here to book!
The RSN is delighted to invite you to attend the National Rural Conference 2025! Aimed at Senior Officers, Members and policy makers along with those working to deliver services in rural areas this conference is an exciting opportunity...
A new policy framework from the Rural Services Network Every person, in every place, deserves the chance to thrive — including those living in rural, coastal and small-town communities. The Rural Services Network is proud to...
Upcoming Events: The Rural Services Network provides a range of meetings to its members to enable them to network, share best practice and hear from expert speakers in relation to rural services. The 2025 RSN online seminar...
August 2025 Edition Welcome to this month's edition of Casebook in which we look at the cost of delivery and impact of unfair funding in rural areas, as highlighted in the recent response submitted by the Rural Services Network...
About Us: Our charity is registered as Community Council of Lancashire but uses Community Futures as a working title. It was founded in 1934 in Manchester to relieve families in poverty during the depression years. The activity of...
The Rural Services Network (RSN) has submitted its response to the Government’s Fair Funding 2.0 consultation, which closed on 15 August. The RSN is the only national body dedicated to campaigning for fairer funding for rural local authorities. This...
Rural England CIC has today published its latest State of Rural Services 2025 report, providing an updated and detailed picture of how people living in rural areas across England access and experience essential local services. Drawing...
The Transport Committee has warned that bus services in England have suffered a decade of decline, leaving many communities — particularly in smaller towns, coastal areas, and the countryside — increasingly cut off from jobs, education, healthcare, and...
A new evaluation of the Defra-funded Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) Programme has confirmed the critical role RHEs play in helping rural communities address the shortage of affordable homes. Commissioned by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)...
Wednesday 17 September 2025 | 13:30 – 15:30 Part of the National Rural Conference 2025 Bookings now open for RSN members: View the full programme Behind every statistic is a story. Data isn’t just...
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Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
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