Latest News
27 Jan 2025
Government Increases Winter Support for Rough Sleepers
The government has announced an increase to the Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding from £10 million to £30 million. This boost is aimed at helping councils across the country provide...
Read more
27 Jan 2025
Unravelling Household Costs: A Rural Perspective on Child Poverty
As rural communities continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the rising cost of living, households with children are facing increased hardship. The recent engagement work by Citizens Advice...
Read more
27 Jan 2025
Efforts to Improve Mobile Coverage in Rural Areas
Norfolk County Council is taking innovative steps to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing rural communities: poor mobile phone reception. As reported by the BBC, the county has faced...
Read more
27 Jan 2025
Parliament Debates Rural Public Services in Adjournment Session
Last week, an Adjournment Debate in Parliament provided MPs with the opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenges facing rural communities, particularly concerning access to public services. The debate, led by...
Read more
20 Jan 2025
Advocating for Fair Funding in Rural England
The Rural Services Network (RSN) continues to express deep concern over the significant disparities highlighted in the latest local government finance settlement. The funding allocations continue to disadvantage rural communities,...
Read more
20 Jan 2025
Election Postponements Requested by Eighteen Local Councils Amid Governance Overhaul
Eighteen local councils in England have formally requested to delay their upcoming May elections until next year to facilitate significant structural changes to local government. The proposed postponements are intended...
Read more
20 Jan 2025
Navigating Challenges in Adult Social Care: Insights from the Sector Pulse Check 2024
The recently published Sector Pulse Check 2024, a collaboration between Hft and Care England, sheds light on the financial and workforce struggles facing the adult social care sector. Based on...
Read more
20 Jan 2025
Norfolk Calls For Agri-Food To Be Priority Sector In Modern Industrial Strategy
Agri-food’s omission from the list of growth-driving sectors in the Modern Industrial Strategy (MIS) could hamper future opportunities for clean energy and other key sectors, Norfolk County Council and partners...
Read more
20 Jan 2025
SEND System at Breaking Point: The Growing Financial Risk to Local Authorities
A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has issued a stark warning about the sustainability of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England. Without urgent...
Read more
14 Jan 2025
Urgent: Submit Your Input on Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement by 15th January
As the national champion for rural services, the RSN is committed to advocating for equitable funding across England’s rural communities. Today we will be submitting our detailed response to the...
Read more