Summer 2025 Rural Services Partnership Spotlight

Welcome to the Summer 2025 Rural Services Partnership Spotlight

Summer is clearly a time of activity!  In this bumper edition we feature a fantastic range of articles from across our membership showcasing the invaluable work undertaken in rural communities. Many of the articles featured dovetail neatly with key themes covered in our recently released Delivering for All Campaign, a roadmap for Rural prosperity and our upcoming National Rural Conference in which we’ll debate, funding, housing, planning, the economy, health, digital connectivity, net zero and transport. Read on to find out more!

New members

We are delighted to welcome the following organisations in membership.  To find out more about each organisation click on their logo.

Somerset Arts Works (SAW)

Evouchers

The Churchill Fellowship

2025 National Rural Conference – Book your space here

We have a fantastic line up in store for this year’s online conference with leading speakers at each session. 

Attendance at the National Rural Conference is free to all members. Feel free to book just one, some or indeed all the sessions.  We look forward to seeing you there.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Landlines are going digital. Are you ready?
Landlines are going digital. Are you ready?   Landlines in the UK are going digital and by January 2027, most calls will be made over broadband. BT has worked closely with charities and representative groups, including...
Read more

Bringing rural innovation to life: New resources from NICRE’s Innovation Portal
The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) has launched new resources on its open-access Innovation Portal to help rural businesses, communities, policymakers and practitioners tackle key challenges. The three updated modules focus on maximising the impact...
Read more

Small developments making a huge difference
As one of England’s largest specialist rural housing associations, Hastoe knows only too well the huge and beneficial impact that building just a small number of affordable homes can have on sustaining village life and growing local rural economies. ...
Read more

Making a difference to rural charities
Evouchers recently worked with Action for Children – South Lakeland, Cumbria which is a charity with 372 services in communities across the UK, in schools and online.  The charity work on the ground giving children and young people the protection...
Read more

2G Switch-Off: Are You Ready for the UK's Network Evolution?
Authored by Mobile UK The UK's mobile networks are undergoing a significant evolution, moving towards faster, more efficient 4G and 5G technologies. As part of this vital upgrade, older 2G networks will be switched off. While there's a ...
Read more

Introducing Sophie Norton, RISE's subject matter expert in retrofit for heritage and historic homes
Sophie Norton is a Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend, and the Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise (RISE) subject matter expert for historic and heritage properties. Before joining Turner & Townsend last year, Sophie worked in heritage conservation...
Read more

Broadcast 2040+ - The future of Terrestrial TV
In 2022, five organisations came together to launch the Broadcast 2040+ campaign over a shared concern: there was no Government commitment to keeping broadcast TV and radio available beyond 2034. The campaign’s message is simple: millions of people enjoy and...
Read more

Making a case for the countryside: Connexus launches Rural Voice
In July, rural housing association Connexus published Rural Voice, a companion piece to its 2025–2030 Corporate Plan, homes you can build a life in. Launched during Rural Housing Week, the document shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked issues facing rural...
Read more

Awards celebrate thriving rural communities
Rural community businesses’ extraordinary impact was honoured at Plunkett UK’s annual awards, held at the start of July. Around 100 people gathered at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London for the 2025 Rural Community Business Awards, sponsored...
Read more

Scottish Gas industry demonstrates 'renewable ready' capabilities to support rural transition
Two senior Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) visited a major gas distribution facility in Bathgate to see how Scotland's liquified petroleum gas (LPG) industry is 'renewable ready' – demonstrating that existing energy infrastructure can seamlessly transition to support rural...
Read more

Labour’s Warm Homes Plan – hybrid heat pumps needed to fill the rural policy gap
At last month’s comprehensive spending review – where the Labour government outlined its spending commitments for the next three years – the Chancellor committed over £10bn to its Warm Homes Plan, which will seek to help homes and businesses decarbonize....
Read more

Three questions Labour needs to answer on rural decarbonisation in its Warm Homes Plan
Malcolm Farrow, Head of Public Affairs at OFTEC says: With the expected publication of the Warm Homes Plan and the Chancellor's Budget, the return after the summer recess is going to be a decisive period for Labour. Despite...
Read more

Get expert planning support for your town or parish council - join CPRE as a member today
At CPRE, the countryside charity, we stand for a countryside that enriches all our lives, regenerating our wellbeing, and that we in turn regenerate, protect and celebrate. We believe in countryside and green spaces that are accessible to all, rich...
Read more

Planning Rural Settlements in a Turbulent Policy World
The planning system is changing fast, demanding more of those rural communities where unplanned change can make a profound difference to village life, services and character. The next couple of years could be make or break for some caught...
Read more

Warm Hubs – Supporting Rural Communities in Warwickshire and Solihull
Since December 2020, WRCC has enjoyed a strong and productive partnership with Cadent, working together to support Warm Hubs across Warwickshire and Solihull. These Hubs are more than just warm spaces—they are welcoming, volunteer-led community venues that offer refreshments, activities,...
Read more

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
During the 2025 University of Plymouth International, National Dementia conference organised by Ian Sherriff B.E.M. which this year was held at Plymouth Argyle conference centre a Memorandum of Understanding between Plymouth University and Nanfang College China was signed in front...
Read more

Rural Housing, Real Benefits: Partnership supports villages in meeting local needs
Affordable housing provider Trent & Dove has partnered with Support Staffordshire to address common misconceptions surrounding rural housebuilding - and to highlight the community benefits it brings. The benefits Affordable rural housing delivers more than...
Read more

Community Development work at YMCA Lincolnshire
For over 155 years, YMCA Lincolnshire have been working across the county to ensure that all people and communities have the opportunity to belong, contribute and thrive so that they feel safe, valued and fulfilled. From addressing homelessness and youth...
Read more

Vision to action: the NHS 10-Year Plan
Pip Cannons, CEO at Community Catalysts, reflects on the ambitions of the  NHS 10-Year Plan  and what is needed to put the vision into action. The NHS 10-Year Plan sets out a bold, ambitious vision...
Read more

Community Energy – Putting the power back in your hands
Northern Powergrid is committed to support the growth of community energy in its region, coming at a time when the UK Government has set out how it plans to deliver on the ambitious target of delivering 8 GW of local...
Read more

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 [email protected]