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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!
Fair Funding: Where Every Rural Challenge Begins And Where Solutions Must Start
Monday 15 September 2025 | 10:00 – 12:00
Part of the National Rural Conference 2025
Bookings now open for RSN members: View the full programme
Fair funding is the thread that runs through all our work at the Rural Services Network and it’s the session that will kickstart this year’s National Rural Conference. Without sustainable, equitable funding, rural councils and service providers cannot deliver the vital services that communities depend on from housing and health to transport, connectivity, and economic development.
This opening discussion will set the stage for the whole conference, bringing together national voices, financial experts, and local leaders to explore how funding decisions shape every aspect of rural life.
Confirmed speakers:
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Cllr Roger Phillips, Chairperson of Herefordshire Council and Chair of Rural Services Network Cllr Phillips brings both national leadership and local authority experience to the fair funding debate. As Chair of the RSN, he represents the collective voice of rural councils across England, ensuring that their needs and concerns are placed firmly on the government’s agenda. A former Leader of Herefordshire County Council and experienced representative on regional and national bodies, Cllr Phillips is a longstanding champion of rural local government making the case that funding fairness is critical to rural communities’ future. |
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Adrian Jenkins, Founder and Chief Analyst, Pixel Financial Management Adrian has worked with over160 local authorities on funding and business rate retention. As founder of Pixel Financial Management, he brings unrivalled knowledge of how funding formulas, business rates and retention schemes impact councils on the ground. Adrian’s analysis helps demystify complex finance systems and reveal their real-world consequences for rural communities making him a vital voice in the fair funding debate. |
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Rachael Sanders, Director of Finance, Herefordshire Council Rachael is the senior finance lead at Herefordshire Council, responsible for safeguarding services through her oversight of finance, procurement, performance, and risk. A Chartered Accountant with over two decades of experience, she has held senior roles across the public and private sectors. Alongside her council role, Rachael influences the national finance agenda as an Advisory Panel Member for the Financial Reporting Council and Chair of CIPFA’s Better Reporting Group. Sarah brings the essential perspective of a practitioner at the frontline, showing how fair funding decisions shape the daily realities of rural service delivery. |
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Sarah Dyke MP, Glastonbury and Somerton and Chair of the APPG for Rural Services As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rural Services, Sarah is a strong advocate for ensuring that rural communities are not overlooked in national decision-making. Sarah uses her platform to bring rural concerns directly into the heart of Westminster. Her leadership of the APPG helps unite cross-party voices around the principle of fair funding, ensuring MPs understand its importance to every aspect of rural life. |
This session is one of eight themed events running from 15–18 September as part of our member-exclusive conference. It’s free to attend for all eligible RSN member organisations. Sessions take place online via Zoom and are not recorded — to benefit from the discussion and interactive format, please join us live.
