CRC Blogs http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog en-us Copyright 2010 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:56:32 UT Latest blogposts from http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/ Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:56:32 UT Countryside and Community Research Institute short courses for spring http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/countrysideandcommunityresearchinstituteshortcoursesforspring http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/countrysideandcommunityresearchinstituteshortcoursesforspring The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) are holding two short courses which will be taking place this spring in conjunction with the Short Course Unit at the University of the West of England.


The first takes place on 14 April in Cheltenham and is entitled 'New perspectives on managing shared resources - exploring collective action from the local to the global', which aims to explore the concept of shared resources or 'resources held in common'.


The second takes place on 21 April, also in Cheltenham, and is entitled ‘Understanding European rural policy and programmes: the future of rural development under the CAP'. This short course will to provide a general introduction to the Rural Development policies of the EU and how they have been developed in the UK, in comparison to other EU countries. It will also provide an overview of the longer term significance of this element of EU policy and funding, and what is likely to happen to it, in future, after 2013.


An early bird discount of 25% is currently available.


For more information contact Dr. Matt Reed, telephone 00 44 (0) 1242 714138 or the Short Course Unit at University of the West of England on 00 44 (0) 117 328 3210 or by email to: sc.unit@uwe.ac.uk.

]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:03:26 UT Understanding Rural Issues http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/understandingruralissues http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/understandingruralissues Lancashire County Council, on behalf of the North West Rural Strategic Group and with the support of Government Office for the North West and Defra, has produced a brochure to raise both awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities across the North West.

The brochure has been deliberately designed as ‘bite size’ as it is principally a signposting tool to advice and information which will help in developing local responses to the issues faced by communities within your rural areas.

A copy of the brochure can be found on the Government Office Network website: Understanding Rural Issues: A guide for Local Strategic Partnerships

]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:22:13 UT Laria Annual Conference 2010 http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/lariaannualconference2010 http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/lariaannualconference2010 Making research work - research for policy 2010

The LARIA Annual Conference will take place at The Royal Holloway University from Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th April 2010.

Download a full programme and booking form

]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:28:37 UT Reviewing the UKDA data catalogue for rural and urban analysis http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/reviewingtheukdadatacatalogueforruralandurbananalysis http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/reviewingtheukdadatacatalogueforruralandurbananalysis The Commission for Rural Communities has commissioned a review of the UKDA data catalogue in order to identify national scale survey data for England that have the potential to be used for rural and urban analyses.

The Strategic Analysis team carried out this work in order to maximise our strong, relevant evidence base. We are also keen to see the ONS definition of rural and urban areas adopted as the standard definition in English economic and social research, and plan to use the results of this review to promote this further.

The outputs will be fed directly into our analysis work and be of great benefit to developing the material that we need for the State of the Countryside 2010 report and contribute to our aim to maximise our strong, relevant evidence base.

The results of this project are summarised in the document "Rural markers in datasets held at the UK Data Archive" and its accompanying spreadsheet.

 

 

]]> Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:02:11 UT Social enterprise route to rural transport solutions http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/socialenterpriseroutetoruraltransportsolutions http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/socialenterpriseroutetoruraltransportsolutions A new £1 million initiative with support from the Department for Transport, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the CRC provides help for community transport organisations in rural areas.

The Rural Social Enterprise Programme (RSEP)  three-year scheme has been organised by the Plunkett Foundation and the Community Transport Association (CTA), following research into the viability of rural transport schemes.

The research highlighted that public or voluntary sector support is needed, and the public sector should encourage a social enterprise approach to rural community transport.

Grants, loans, training and development will help eight transport organisations develop into sustainable social enterprises. The scheme is open for applications until 4 January 2010

]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:37:58 UT Village SOS 2009: the shortlist is revealed http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/villagesos2009theshortlistisrevealed http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/villagesos2009theshortlistisrevealed After months of speaking to the villages across the UK and searching high and low for the most enterprising people and ideas, 28 projects have now been shortlisted


Village SOS is searching for six UK villages with a great business idea and six enterprising individuals to act as Village Champions to help them achieve their ambitions. Together they will create a brand new venture that will bring new life and energy to the village with funding of between £100,000 and £400,000 from The Big Lottery Fund (BIG)

The journey of the six successful villages and their Village Champions will be filmed for a major prime time BBC One series in winter 2010.

Village Champions will work and live full-time in the village to get the enterprise up and running. These individuals will need vision and a "can do" attitude, with a track record of running a successful enterprise or project. The champions will bring their expertise and add to, not replace the existing skills of people in the villages. They will receive a £30,000 salary, and may also invest their own money into the project.

The final six winning villages are due to be announced in May 2010.

 If you require any information you can ring the BIG helpline on 0844 88 88 677 or email us at general.enquiries@biglotteryfund.org.uk

]]> Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:31:16 UT We've responsed to CLG’s consultation on the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/weveresponsedtoconsultationonintroductionofcil http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/weveresponsedtoconsultationonintroductionofcil We've responded to CLG’s consultation on the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).


CIL is a new charge which local authorities in England and Wales will be empowered, but not required, to charge on most types of new developments in their area.


The proceeds of the levy will be spent on local and sub-regional infrastructure to support the development of the area.


Download our response to the consultation on the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy

]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:20:33 UT More must be done to help the rural fuel poor http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/moremustbedonetohelptheruralfuelpoor http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/moremustbedonetohelptheruralfuelpoor Peter Vines, a senior adviser in our Whitehall team, has written about fuel poverty in rural areas for Utility Week.


The plight of the rural fuel poor is often overlooked. 1 in 5 rural households spend 10% or more of their income on heating, which is the government's definition of fuel poverty.


Read Peter's article in full on the Utility Week website

]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:45:12 UT Rural Advocate interviewed by Justin Griggs, NALC at the Rural Reception http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraladvocateinterviewedbyjustingriggsnalcattheruralreception http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraladvocateinterviewedbyjustingriggsnalcattheruralreception NALC's Justin Griggs interviewed Stuart Burgess, our chair and the Government's Rural Advocate, on camera after our recent Rural Reception at the Conservative party conference. Stuart talks about his role and some of the issues facing rural communities.


Watch the interview with Stuart on YouTube


We also held Rural Receptions at the recent Liberal Democrat and Labour party conferences. The receptions were held to mark 100 years of rural representation at the heart of government.

]]> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:58:58 UT Rural Services Network investigates State of Rural Services in England http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruralservicesnetworkinvestigatesstateofruralservicesinengland http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruralservicesnetworkinvestigatesstateofruralservicesinengland The Rural Services Network is conducting an in-depth investigation to detail the State of Rural Services in England. They want your input to help develop their publication so it best serves you.


Download the preliminary paper detailing the investigation


They'd like you to take a look at their paper and then complete a short survey to ensure our final report best provides you with the relevant information you need.


Complete the State of Rural Services in England survey


]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:10:34 UT DWP are calling for submissions to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010 http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/dwparecallingforsubmissionstotheeuropeanyearforcombatingpovertyandsocialexclusion http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/dwparecallingforsubmissionstotheeuropeanyearforcombatingpovertyandsocialexclusion The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has recently issued a call for proposals for activities to contribute to the aims and objectives of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

More information can be found on the DWP’s website

The deadline for submission of proposals is 5pm on 15 October 2009.

]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:51:13 UT Crispin Moor blogs for New Start: 'Performance management: technocratic twaddle?' http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/crispinmoorblogsfornewstartperformancemanagementtechnocratictwaddle http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/crispinmoorblogsfornewstartperformancemanagementtechnocratictwaddle Crispin Moor, our Executive Director - Whitehall, has blogged for New Start magazine about how disaggregating the National Indicator (NI) Set to to a below Local Area Agreement (LAA) geographic level could help secure proportionate delivery of LAA targets to rural and other local communities.


Visit the New Start website to read Crispin's blog post on NIs


We've produced a how to guide 'Locality Reporting: Spatial disaggregation of the National Indicator Set' which explains further the relevance of sub-LAA indicators and provides some commentary about the extent to which this is feasible.


We've also produced a set of tables demonstrating the potential for disaggregating the NIs at a spatial level which is relevant to individual communities.


Download the guide 'Locality Reporting: Spatial disaggregation of the National Indicator Set'

Download the tables

Download our leaflet 'A truly local view: locality reporting against the national indicator set'


]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:34:15 UT Elinor Goodman interviewed by Landworker magazine http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/elinorgoodmaninterviewedbylandworkermagazine http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/elinorgoodmaninterviewedbylandworkermagazine Elinor Goodman, one of our Commissioners, has been interviewed for the latest issue of Landworker magazine.


In the article, Elinor talks about her role, our work and some of the issues facing rural communities


Download the full article


]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:14:59 UT Village SOS: searching for 6 villages with great business ideas to bring new life to their community http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/villagesossearchingfor6villageswithgreatbusinessideastobringnewlifetotheircomm http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/villagesossearchingfor6villageswithgreatbusinessideastobringnewlifetotheircomm Village SOS is searching for six UK villages with a great business idea and six enterprising individuals to act as Village Champions to help them achieve their ambitions. Together they will create a brand new venture that will bring new life and energy to the village with funding of between £100,000 and £400,000 from BIG.


The journey of the six successful villages and their Village Champions will be filmed for a major prime time BBC One series in winter 2010.


Villages are invited to apply to BIG with ideas for successful enterprises that will help revive their communities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for local people. If you live in a village with fewer than 3,000 people and have an idea for a business that could bring energy and life back to your community, then Village SOS could be for you.


Village Champions will work and live full-time in the village to get the enterprise up and running. These individuals will need vision and a "can do" attitude, with a track record of running a successful enterprise or project. The champions will bring their expertise and add to, not replace the existing skills of people in the villages. They will receive a £30,000 salary, and may also invest their own money into the project.


To find out more or to apply visit www.bbc.co.uk/villagesos  or call 0844 88 88 677


]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:30:46 UT Not long left for submissions to 'environment 09: creating the climate for change' http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/notlongleftforsubmissionstoenvironment09creatingtheclimateforchange http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/notlongleftforsubmissionstoenvironment09creatingtheclimateforchange The Environment Agency is seeking submissions from the wider professional community for the seminar programme of their annual conference 'environment 09: creating the climate for change'.


This is an opportunity to present your project or best practice findings on a national stage. The conference in attended by over 500 senior decision-makers from local and central government, environmental specialists, businesses and the Environment Agency.

They're looking for submissions from the following categories:

  • Meeting UK targets for renewable energy

  • Demonstrating local leadership through reducing carbon use

  • Regulating for Change – Innovative approaches towards environmental regulation

  • Waste, Recycling – Changing behaviours

  • Flooding resistance and resilience

  • Community Leadership – improving the environmental well being of your area.


Visit the conference website to submit your abstract

Closing date is Friday 31 July and selections will be announced on Friday 14 August


Visit the 'environment 09' website to find out more about the event and book a place


]]> Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:47:23 UT