Welcome to the February 2022 Rural Services Partnership Spotlight

We’re delighted to share with you the first edition of Spotlight for 2022, show casing all things rural.  In this bumper edition we have over 20 articles covering rural health, transport, education, business and community support, affordable homes, digital connectivity and much more, happy reading!

New Members
The RSP continues to increase its membership with well over 200 members! We are delighted to welcome the following 3 organisations that have signed up since our October edition of Spotlight.  Click on each organisation logo to find out more.

Godolphin Cross Community Association

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores)

airband

Free online seminars and events
We have a fantastic range of online events throughout the year, all with key rural themes.  Upcoming events include a seminar on Young People in Rural Areas in February and a Rural Planning seminar in March. Click here to view all events and book.

Remember all events are free of charge to our members.

Keep your stories coming
We’re always keen to promote our member organisations, so if you have an article you would like to feature in either a future Spotlight, or our weekly Rural Services Network e-bulletin, please email to admin@sparse.gov.uk

FEATURED ARTICLES

Connecting the UK – Why we need to start locally
Digital connectivity is an essential element of modern society and, as we look to the future, it is difficult to imagine any scenario where it will not be central to our vision and ambitions for what will come.

- Looking forward, digital connectivity, underpinned by mobile connectivity, and the step change that will come with 5G, will become ever more crucial. This means that:
- Social care will be transformed
- Local councils’ own digital transformation strategies will improve service provision and access to public services, and

The Government’s own ambitions to level up will be built on the availability of world class connectivity
Read more

It’s still good to talk- upgrading the UK phone system to digital
BT is upgrading the current home phone system by switching-off our nearly obsolete analogue network that supports voice calls and replacing it with a more advanced digital system.

As a result, home phones are changing. Just as television went from analogue to digital, now it’s the turn of the humble landline. The UK is the latest country to upgrade its home phone network following Japan, Sweden and Germany. By 2025, Openreach, the company that maintains the phone network, will be switching off the 30-year-old analogue copper-based system which is no longer fit for purpose.
Read more

Transforming rural transport
Rural areas are facing a perfect storm when it comes to bus services. Already decimated by decades of cuts and a fall in passenger numbers, they now face a nation-wide shortage of drivers and Covid-related staff absences which have seen critical resources diverted to busier, urban routes.

Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) is seen as an obvious solution but up to now, most schemes have focused solely on filling gaps in transport provision rather than offering a viable alternative to the private car. The result has been services that are often inaccessible to those in greatest need.
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Airband - the leading pioneers in rural broadband

Simply put, Airband are leading pioneers in rural broadband. We head to corners of the country others won’t dare go, transforming connectivity for homes & businesses, and bringing communities together along the way.

Ever heard of the digital divide? Well, we’re here to make sure you don’t. As an independent ISP working with the government, local councils & communities, it’s our job to provide the very best broadband service in town. And guess what? We’re pushing you to the front of the queue by putting your community first. It’s what we do, day in and day out, since 2009.
Read more

2022 Rural Shop Report
Recently, we launched our 2022 Rural Shop Report which looks at the vital role that rural convenience stores play in the day to day lives of their customers and takes a comprehensive look at the running of these businesses. We produce the Rural Shop Report to highlight the economic and social contribution of rural shops and the unique challenges they face compared to their urban and suburban counterparts. There are over 17,000 rural shops in the UK, providing products and services in often isolated areas that are absolutely crucial to keeping their communities going. Findings from our 2022 Rural Shop Report have revealed that half of rural stores operate with no other retail or service businesses close by, acting as a lifeline for their customers by providing access to vital services including free to use cash machines (48%), local grocery delivery (26%) and Post Offices (22%).
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Hartpury continue to shape the future of digital farming
DronePrep who support drone delivery projects across the UK via their innovative technology platform and Drone Delivery Register app, connect drone pilots with landowners allowing them to plan flights and create safe spaces in low-level airspace in which to fly.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company partnered with Royal Mail, NHS and other biotech companies to offer the UK’s first scheduled drone flights to deliver essential PPE and Covid-19 test kits to remote communities.
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Exploring barriers to accessing online health services in Devon
Independent community development charity Devon Communities Together is collaborating with community health and wellbeing organisation, Wellmoor, on NHSX’s Digital Inclusion Pioneers Programme, to explore and understand the barriers to accessing online healthcare services.

While the use of digital devices is increasing across all population groups, adoption of digitally enabled health care is not growing at the same rate. Funding has been received to support discovery work with people living in our most rural communities - with particular focus on those living in the most deprived areas and those most geographically distant from our acute hospitals.
Read more

Rural GPs under pressure because governments fail to rural proof
Dispensing doctors’ income is under pressure from Government policy in two UK nations, as a result of insufficient rural proofing.

Dispensing GP surgeries are mainly located in rural locations, where a community pharmacy is not economically viable. Dispensing practices therefore provide a vital NHS service for rural populations, which typically, are older than urban populations.

Funding for rural medical services is fundamentally propped up by dispensing income. A Cost of Service analysis of dispensing practice has demonstrated that up to half of a dispensing practice’s income is derived from dispensing. Of this dispensing income, more than half is made up of dispensing fees.
Read more

Rural district nursing is not for the faint-hearted
Worcestershire is a rural county of valleys, rivers and patchwork fields, bordered by the Malvern Hills. Surrounded by outstanding natural beauty, it is easy to forget the challenges those living in rural communities might face when accessing healthcare.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust provides a range of services, including care and support at home through a variety of community-based teams which support both physical and mental health needs of its population. It includes its integrated Neighbourhood Teams which brings together a range of professionals including district nurses, therapists, GPs, and social care staff providing care and treatment to more vulnerable patients in their own homes. The aim is to deliver proactive and responsive care to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions or repeat GP appointments.
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The Importance of Reminiscence in Rural Communities - The Queen’s Jubilee
When Living Memories C.I.C. started running its first pilot Tea & Memories community reminiscence group in 2018 in Colyton, East Devon, little did we know how popular the regular gatherings would become.

When we were out walking our dog in the days between our group meetings we would often bump into one of our 25 “regulars” who would ask to be reminded about what we would discuss at the next session, then once posters had gone up on the telegraph poles around Colyton we would hear “I can’t wait until next Thursday..”.

We never had any problem to stimulate conversation after watching a couple of our 2,500 archive film programmes  and newsreels from the 20th century on Living Memories Online. The memories triggered by watching the videos would just flow over a cup of tea or coffee and carry on for 60-90 minutes until we had to lock up the local church hall.
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Lincolnshire patient thanks new COVID service for saving his life
Patients who are a greater risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 have praised a new service designed to aid their recovery from the virus and keep them out of hospital.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England and is part of the team offering the service to patients from across the largely rural county.

Hospital patients admitted with COVID-19 have been able to have anti-viral treatments in Lincolnshire since September 2021. These help boost a patient’s own immune system so that they are able to fight the virus sooner and prevent more serious symptoms and long term side effects.

Just before Christmas a new service was launched in the county, where patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who have underlying health conditions that mean that are at an increased risk of being admitted to hospital, can now have the anti-viral treatment as an outpatient.
Read more

Rural Homelessness Focus of New Study
Rural homelessness is an unseen crisis in the countryside, driven by limited access to services and an absence of affordable homes. The extent of the crisis is unclear as limited rural data is captured in official statistics. Trends show that overall homelessness has increased in the last decade and where interventions have helped in urban areas, their impact is less successful in rural communities. A rural housing task force has joined forces to shine a light on the crisis by commissioning a 12-month research collaboration between academics at Kent and Southampton Universities. 

The rural task force includes leading national, rural charities and housing providers. Working collaboratively, the group have pooled resources to develop and fund the research, designed to secure evidence showing the extent of the rural housing crisis and what interventions will help tackle the problem. 
Read more

Continuing to support publicans and their local communities
Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services, is continuing to support publicans and their local communities.

Despite the challenges faced by the industry over the latest difficult few months publicans have continued to support people living in their local areas with village stores and community cafes. These were each opened with the expert help and a Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub.

Publicans Rebecca and Joseph Richards came to the rescue of local residents by opening a new village store in a former pool room at The Royal Oak Hotel in Beckermet, Cumbria.
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Farming Help Alliance Supporting Industry with Managing Stress, Succession and Future Planning
The national Farming Help charities (The Farming Community Network, Addington Fund and Forage Aid) have launched new awareness raising sessions for delivery from February 2022 - with a focus on stress management, succession and planning for the future of the farm business.

The sessions - which are supported by DEFRA and will initially be delivered online by representatives from the Farming Help charities in England - are informed by the knowledge and experience of the charities, who regularly hear directly from farmers about the key challenges they are experiencing.

The sessions are discussion-led and take a positive approach towards change, inviting audience participation and the sharing of experiences to benefit others.
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Plymouth University launch National Dental Dementia Friendly Guide
The guide was produced by Professor Chris Tredwin Professor of Restorative Dentistry, Ian Sherriff B.E.M. Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia, Abby Nelder Community Engagement Programme Officer Peninsula Dental School, Claire Puckey BScHons and Tony Husband award-winning cartoonist. The guide was commissioned by the Prime Ministers National Dementia Challenge Group.

The guide enables all N.H.S dental practices in England to become inclusive Dementia Friendly Dentist in both rural and urban areas to create an enabling environment, engaging with people living with dementia, their families and carers. This makes it possible for people living with dementia to continue to have compassionate, individualised dental health care. A Dementia Friendly dental practice will enable people with dementia to have a sense of belonging and feel a valued part of a community and civic life. (Source: National Dementia Declaration 2012).
Read more

Encouraging older shoppers back into rural stores
A series of practical recommendations to encourage older shoppers in rural areas back into local stores in the wake of Covid-19 have emerged from research commissioned by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE).

Researchers at the University of Southampton explored how the pandemic had impacted the shopping habits and attitudes of consumers aged 65+ living and shopping in rural communities in the South of England.

The research – carried out by Dr Rob Angell and Mr Janusz Swierczynski – found that while many older shoppers were already returning to use rural retail stores, the majority also had similar concerns and apprehensions that prevented it being a ‘normal’ experience. For others, at the time of the survey in summer 2021, physical shopping remained a step too far, often for one or more of the reasons that were also inhibiting those who had already returned.
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We want to help to Get Rural Small Businesses Trading Better
The Forum of Private Business were set up in 1977 in a rural community with the goal of helping small businesses to deal with day-to-day issues, compliance and to give them a voice in local and national government, where many of the rules and regulations they must deal with are created. The Forum are a not-for-profit organisation who invest all revenues in supporting members and we do not take any partner commissions, so we do not push inappropriate products and services to our members in order to increase revenue. We have been helping small business owners like you to save money and time for over 40 years, enabling you to do what you do best, grow and develop your business!

The Benefits
You get access to our general business helpline completely free, so if there is an issue or opportunity that you need some help with our team are there to help you so you can e mail us or ring us and have someone there to listen and offer advice.
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Micropropagation at Duchy College Rosewarne
The micropropagation laboratory at Duchy College Rosewarne was established in 1991. Over a number of years, the facility has become an important, nationally-recognised research facility for the propagation and cultivation of endangered plant species.

The primary focus has been on conserving plants of historical significance, such as saving a 1200-year-old oak tree with the Ancient Tree Forum, or helping The Lost Gardens of Heligan recover mature species of rhododendrons. Plantlets that come out of the lab are grown on within the nursery and when hardy enough are dispatched.

More recently, the facility has been working with a number of commercial growers to create new plant propagation protocols and wider research projects that support the rejuvenation and climate change agenda.
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Lancs farmers revving up with tractor technology
Dozens of farmers across Lancashire are starting to learn new skills thanks to a major investment in the very latest technology through a new collaboration between the county’s colleges and employers.

The network of farmers is helping to share the opportunities presented by the investment of half a million pounds from the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Pilot being managed by The Lancashire Colleges. The agriculture project – one of seven projects under the SDF Pilot – is being run by Myerscough College at Bilsborrow, near Preston, and has enabled the purchase of two new tractors featuring the very latest technology.

The Myerscough Ag Net Zero Challenge is also bringing together the farming community with events and sharing of knowledge and has recently staged four Carbon Farm Roadshows focusing on reducing carbon emissions, safety and technology with more planned in the near future.
Read more

Continue we will, despite thorns in the flesh…
This last six months or so has brought a time of trials and tribulations, not only to us as an Association, but to the farming community also.  However, with resilience and fortitude we will carry on.

With the arrival of the Omicron strain, and the way that it spreads is horrendous, at least the way that it affects people is not as vicious as the previous Delta variant.  This has meant that we, as an Association have, taking the necessary precautions, been able to visit livestock markets and farms.  That is providing that the farmers are agreeable to us visiting.

However, Covid has meant that for the time being, we had to curtail our plans to increase the number of health checks being undertaken at markets throughout the UK.  This will resume again shortly, in conjunction with our partners.
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News from The Prince’s Countryside Fund
In the latter months of the 2021, The Prince’s Countryside Fund was busy launching our new three-year strategy across the UK, which we are so pleased to be able to share with you here.
We would also like to introduce you to our new film showing the PCF’s work, we hope you enjoy it! 

Farmers reap the rewards of our Farm Resilience Programme
Our Farm Resilience Programme delivers significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for farmers, an independent evaluation has found.
The study, carried out by ADAS, showed that for every £1 invested in the programme participating farmers saw an average return of £3, with 58% of participants recording an increase in profitability estimated at £9,800 each year. Other benefits included improved business skills (73%), increased confidence (75%) and improved succession planning (46%).
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At UK Youth we put young people at the heart of all we do
At UK Youth, our vision is to ensure that “all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives”.

With our 2025 strategy, we have committed to “unlock the power of Youth Work” by:

-Working through networks of youth organisations and supporters to build a nationwide, cross-sector movement ensuring that the youth sector is strengthened.

-Delivering innovative and high-quality youth services ensuring that provision is youth-led and evidence-informed.

-Campaigning and advocating for young people to increase support for youth work and to ensure that we create a society that understands, champions and values youth work for all.
Read more

Working together to make communities safer – March 2022 NALC online event!
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is the nationally recognised membership and support organisation representing the interests of around 10,000 local (parish and town) councils and many parish meetings in England, and their 100,000 local councillors.

Local councils are the first tier of local government in England. They are the backbone of our democracy and closest to local people, providing our neighbourhoods, villages, towns and small cities with a democratic voice and structure for taking action, contributing in excess of £2 billion of community investment to supporting and improving local communities and delivering neighbourhood level services.

On 30 March 2022, NALC is holding an online event on the subject of working together to make communities safer.
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