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As the national voice championing rural services, the Rural Services Network (RSN) is proud to reflect on a year of meaningful progress, advocacy, and collaboration. In 2024/25, we continued to deliver on our mission to ensure that rural communities are seen, heard, and prioritised in national policy and decision-making.
Thanks to the steadfast support of our members and the dedication of our Executive Board, we've achieved milestones across our core pillars: representation, services, and research. Together, we’re championing the changes rural communities need to thrive.
View our 2024/25 Achievements Card
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At the national level, our advocacy work has remained relentless. In January 2024, we launched our Winning the Rural Vote campaign in Parliament—an initiative that evolved into Delivering for Rural, reflecting the political landscape and reaffirming our focus on rural priorities. This campaign continues to influence political discourse and highlight the vital role of rural communities in the UK’s future.
Our seat at national forums has strengthened too. RSN plays a key role in several national bodies and coalitions, including:
As the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Services, we’ve brought key rural issues - like transport, digital inclusion, housing, and local funding - into the legislative spotlight.
We continue to challenge funding disparities that disadvantage rural councils and communities, pressing for fairer financial settlements to address the rising costs and limited-service provision in rural areas.
Over the past year, RSN has ensured that members are equipped with knowledge, insight, and connections:
We’ve also intensified our analytical offering, providing local authority members with custom insights and statistics via our Members Insights portal, helping organisations benchmark, plan, and advocate more effectively.
Evidence-based advocacy is at the core of our work. This year, we helped drive forward the Reigniting Rural Futures report, developed by Pragmatix Advisory for the Rural Coalition, of which the RSN is a member. This research calls for targeted investment in rural productivity—critical for both local prosperity and the national economy.
We also continued our Rural Lens Reviews, assessing major government policies and strategies through a rural perspective. This ensures that proposed changes are understood in the context of rural needs, challenges, and potential.
As we look to the year ahead, the RSN remains resolute in its purpose: to elevate rural voices, advocate for fairer policy, and spotlight the immense potential within rural communities. The challenges are real—but so are the opportunities.
We thank our members, partners, and allies who make this work possible. With your continued support, we’ll keep championing the rural cause and advocating for the change rural communities deserve.