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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!
banks
Bank closures and their impact on rural communities were firmly in the national spotlight last week, with the issue debated in Parliament and discussed on Sky News. Ahead of the debate, RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth joined Sky News...
The recent publication of the Treasury Committee ’s Acceptance of Cash report casts a fresh spotlight on the rapidly shifting payment landscape in the UK, and its consequences for rural communities. While the Government has made strides...
Recent discussions in the House of Commons have brought to light the severe implications of bank closures in rural areas. Led by Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, a debate on bank closures in rural areas ...
The impending closure of the last two bank branches in Alnwick, Northumberland — Lloyds and Halifax — scheduled for January 2025, has not only highlighted the challenges faced by this historic market town but also shed light on a broader...
Barclays has announced it is to close at least 180 of its branches in the next 2 years, more than a third of its entire UK networks. The news comes as analysis by Financial Times, based on data from...
A new policy is to be introduced which will ensure that the ‘vast majority of people and businesses’ will be no further than three miles away from a place where they can withdraw cash. In a statement, the government...
Traders in Bromyard, Herefordshire, have told the BBC that the town has been left short of cash and ‘forced to travel miles with their takings’ after the last bank closed its doors. Traders in Bromyard, Herefordshire, have...
CITY A.M. report a leading charity for older people has criticised the latest tranche of bank branch closures, saying it is making banking “really difficult.” Responding to news that Lloyds and Natwest groups would be shutting a further 81 branches this...
The Yorkshire Post reports that new research by the lender Abound that estimates that just 5% of people have not withdrawn cash from an ATM in the last 12 months and that around 80% of Brits said that they took...
Now or never to save cash, Which? warns, as new research reveals ATMs and bank branch network cut to the bone Almost a quarter of free-to-use ATMs have vanished since 2018 and almost half of the UK’s bank branches...
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HOT TOPICS
Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
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