Rural Economies
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.
10 Jul 2023
Rural England’s 9.7 million risk being left further behind at general election
The Rural Coalition urges political parties to address rural challenges to gain ground among countryside voters 10 July 2023: Rural England’s population of 9.7 million risk being left further behind...
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26 Jun 2023
Traders in a rural town say they’re experiencing cash shortages caused by bank closures
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...
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12 Jun 2023
Rural Economy Spotlight – June 2023
A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current rural economic development news, issues and opportunities Government commits to ‘Unleashing Rural Opportunity’...
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06 Jun 2023
A cautious welcome to the Government’s new rural initiative
This morning (Tuesday 6 June 2023), the Government announced details of its new initiative “Unleashing Rural Productivity”. Whilst we have yet to see the detailed report, the RSN understands that...
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30 May 2023
Energy bills set to stay high despite price cap cut
BBC News reports that experts warn energy bills are set to remain high despite a cut in prices from July. A typical household will pay £2,074 a year for gas...
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30 May 2023
Plunkett and the community business movement – Impact Report 2022
The Plunkett Foundation is the only organisation supporting rural community-owned businesses at every stage of their journey in all four UK nations. It recently released its Impact Report 2022, detailing...
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30 May 2023
£165 million fund launched to transform local skills
The Department for Education issued a press release on the 24th May 2023 setting out how local employer skills gaps are to be addressed with a funding boost to transform...
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22 May 2023
Thank you for response to cost of living survey
A huge thank you to Rural Services Network member organisations who helped to share and promote our survey on the rural cost of living crisis, that we carried out with...
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09 May 2023
Mobile UK Calls on Newly Elected Councillors to prioritise digital strategies
Mobile UK, the industry body for the UK’s Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), is calling for all newly elected local councillors to put digital policy and connectivity strategies for their localities...
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02 May 2023
Detailed report exploring the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas released
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse has released a detailed report exploring the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas and investigating the extent of...
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