Rural Communities in Focus: Insights, Inspiration, and What’s Next

Last week, we were proud to host another of our exclusive member-only seminars—this time focusing on the heartbeat of our work: rural communities. This engaging online event brought together RSN members from across the country and across the rural sectors to explore how we can support thriving, resilient, and future-ready communities.

These RSN seminars are a valuable benefit of membership, offering the chance to hear directly from sector leaders, connect with peers, and stay ahead of emerging rural policy developments. Importantly, these sessions are not recorded, allowing for open and honest discussion in a safe and trusted space.

Thank You to Our Members and Speakers

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and contributed to the discussions. We were especially pleased to welcome a fantastic line-up of speakers who shared thought-provoking insights into the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities today:

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of RSN, kicked off the session by setting the scene—emphasising the funding inequalities rural councils face, the lack of discretionary spend compared to urban areas, and the pressing need for the right homes, in the right places, with the right access to infrastructure and services to allow rural communities to flourish.

	Nic Millington (Chief Executive) and Grant Black (Creative Director) from Rural Media gave an inspiring presentation on “The Voice of Young Rural Britain.” They shared the story of their youth-led work empowering over 3,000 young people in rural areas to creatively express their needs and aspirations—building bridges between young residents and decision-makers through film, media, and powerful storytelling.
	Jeremy Leggett MBE, Policy Advisor at Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), led a session on “Devolution and Local Communities.” He explored how local government reorganisation, and the creation of new strategic and unitary authorities present both opportunities and risks for rural areas—and how communities can navigate the changing governance landscape to protect their interests and identities.
	Henry Clifford, Rural Economy Team Leader at DEFRA, provided an update on the Rural England Prosperity Fund. He explained how this funding is helping support rural businesses and community infrastructure, what’s ahead for 2025/26, and how the fund aligns with broader goals for economic growth and place-based investment in rural areas.

The session concluded with an open forum discussion, giving members a chance to share their own examples of good practice, raise questions, and connect ideas across sectors and geographies.

Coming Soon: Rural Economies Seminar – 30th April 2025

Building on the energy of the Communities seminar, we’re excited to announce the next session in our seminar series: a deep dive into Rural Economies, taking place on Wednesday 30th April 2025 from 11:00–13:00 via Zoom.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Lydia Rusling, Director of Place and Prosperity at Melton Borough Council.
• Alex Howell, Devolution and Local Growth Adviser at the Local Government Association, speaking on “Rural proofing the Industrial Strategy.”

We’ll be revealing our final speaker very soon, so keep an eye out for the full agenda.

As with all RSN seminars, this session is exclusive to RSN members and will not be recorded, so we encourage you to attend live to make the most of this interactive experience.

Don’t Miss Out – Register Today

We encourage all members to register early and secure your place. Whether you’re focused on policy, service delivery, community leadership, or local economic development—this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to connect, learn, and share with others committed to championing rural areas.

> Click here to view the RSN Seminar Programme and register.

Thank you again to all our members for your continued support, energy, and ideas. Together, we are giving rural communities the voice, visibility, and fairness they deserve.

We’ll see you at the next seminar!