Rural Communities In Focus

Last week we held another highly engaging RSN member-exclusive seminar, this time focused on rural communities. The session brought together a strong mix of national insight and local experience, with a clear emphasis on how community-led approaches can help address deeply rooted – and often hidden – rural challenges.

RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth opened the session by setting out the wider context facing rural areas, including funding disparities, housing pressures and connectivity gaps. These structural challenges continue to shape everyday life in rural communities, often in ways that are not fully captured in national data.

Community In Action: Hour Community

Nick Corke, Chief Executive of Hour Community, gave a inspiring presentation which offered a powerful example of what locally-driven support can achieve.

Founded in 2011, Hour Community has grown into a vital organisation supporting thousands of residents across Framlingham and surrounding villages. Built on a simple idea: people giving an hour of their time to support others. The initiative has evolved to provide a wide range of services, including accessible transport, social activities, mental health support and practical help for older residents.

During the pandemic, the organisation delivered over 1,000 meals and ran a food bank with the support of a large volunteer network. Today, it continues to expand its reach, although demand for services remains high.

The presentation highlighted the critical role of trusted, hyper-local organisations that understand their communities and can respond flexibly to need, often filling gaps where formal services cannot.

Understanding Local Need: Insights From ICON

Ross Mudie from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) provided a broader perspective on how disadvantage is experienced at neighbourhood level.

His presentation explored the concept of “double disadvantage”, where areas face both economic challenges and a lack of social infrastructure. In rural areas, this can be particularly difficult to identify, as need is often dispersed and less visible.

ICON’s work highlights the importance of strengthening local social foundations, including community networks, assets and leadership as a first step towards long-term economic improvement. The session reinforced that effective policy must reflect local context, particularly in rural and coastal communities where national approaches may not translate easily.

The Rural Reality

The conversation also highlighted the real-world impact of current rising heating oil and fuel prices on rural households. While not always captured by standard fuel poverty measures, these pressures are being felt widely, raising questions about whether current government support goes far enough for off-grid communities facing higher and less predictable costs.  The RSN used the session to gather local feedback on the current situation in rural communities to feed into wider work sharing the impact directly with DEFRA.  Acoss the session, a clear message emerged: rural challenges are often highly localised, but no less significant. Addressing them effectively requires better recognition of place, stronger support for community-led solutions, and policies that are grounded in the realities of rural life.

Thank you to all our speakers and members who contributed to such an engaging and constructive discussion.

Our next RSN member-exclusive seminar will focus on the Rural Economy and takes place on Wednesday 29 April. Download the agenda here and book your place here.