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Rural Fair Funding
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 locales is costlier.
06 Oct 2025
Labour Party Conference – The View from Rural
7 hours… that’s how long it took our Chief Executive Kerry Booth to get to the Labour Party Conference last week on the train, from rural Devon to bustling Liverpool,...
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06 Oct 2025
Rural Futures, Exploring the Potential of the Countryside
A new pamphlet, Rural Futures: The British Countryside and its Potential, has been published by the Fabian Society and The Countryside Charity (CPRE). Launched during the recent Labour Party Conference,...
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06 Oct 2025
Online GP Appointment Requests Now Available Across England
All GP practices in England are now required to keep their online consultation tools open throughout core hours, from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The Department of Health and...
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06 Oct 2025
Rural Households Invited to Share Views on Energy and Water Use
Rural households are being encouraged to take part in important new research from Rural England CIC, working with the University of Leicester, on how people in rural areas experience and...
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30 Sep 2025
Pretty Poverty in Cornwall: Report Exposes Rural Hardship
A new report has warned that deprivation in Cornwall’s rural communities is being overlooked because government measures fail to capture the reality of rural life. The Pretty Poverty Report: Cornwall...
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30 Sep 2025
Local Evidence Highlights Hidden Child Poverty
A new report from Citizens Advice Stroud & Cotswold Districts has exposed the extent of child poverty in areas often perceived as affluent. Child Poverty: Local Evidence – National Action...
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22 Sep 2025
Have Your Say: Delivering for All Survey
The Rural Services Network’s Delivering for All survey is now live – and we want to hear from you. If you live in a village, small town, hamlet or isolated...
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22 Sep 2025
Kerry Booth: Why Fair Funding Matters for Rural Councils
Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, was recently invited to contribute a blog reflecting on the funding challenges faced by rural councils. We are pleased to share...
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22 Sep 2025
Four Days, Hundreds Of Voices, Championing Rural Futures
This year’s National Rural Conference has drawn to a close after four days of debate, discussion and learning focused on the future of rural communities. Over the course of the...
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