CRC Events http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog en-us Copyright 2010 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:45:49 UT Latest blogposts from http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:45:49 UT Economic Well-being Seminar http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/economicwellbeingseminar http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/economicwellbeingseminar Organised by the Rural Economies team, the aim of the seminar was to increase understanding of economic well-being and how it can be pursued at a local level, and to explore the relevance of economic well-being and sustainable economic growth to rural areas.


The delegates came from a range of organisations including representatives from local, regional and central government, local community organisations and academics.


Morning Session

In the morning presentations and discussions centred around central, regional and local government's current and future engagement with economic well-being and sustainable economic growth.


Stephen Syrett from the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) at Middlesex University Business School explored of the meaning of sustainable economic development, its links to economic well-being and how sustainable economic growth can be achieved and measured by local, regional and central government.

Download Stephen’s presentation


Will Rossiter from EMDA provided an update on the use of the Index of Sustainable Economic Well-being at a regional level and its links to the Sustainable Economic Growth objective within the Integrated Regional Strategies.

Download Will’s presentation


Afternoon session

In the afternoon, discussions moved to case studies and examples of economic well-being projects in England including projects which use the ‘Well-being Powers’ introduced in the Local Government Act 2000.


Unfortunately, due to illness, Hilary Kitchin from the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) who was due to present at the Seminar was unable to join us. Fortunately, Stephen Rogers from Inlogov, who had worked with Hilary in researching the use of the Well-being Power in local government, was able to step in and provide a very useful summary of their work.

Download Hilary’s original presentation


Ivan Annibal from Globe Consultants and Rob Hindle from Rural Innovation explored how economic well-being can be achieved at a local level drawing on their work for the Commission for Rural Communities.

Download Ivan and Rob’s presentation


Discussions were encouraged throughout the day. Some of the issues and questions raised by participants can be found in our summary of the event.

Download the Seminar agenda

Read the event summary

Read the delegate list

]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:51:37 UT Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:30:00 UT Understanding rural communities using social survey data http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/understandingruralcommunitiesusingsocialsurveydata http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/understandingruralcommunitiesusingsocialsurveydata Rural communities form a fifth of England’s population but rural evidence often seems so difficult to find. As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) are running an event that offers a new generation of professionals a fascinating insight into how social survey data produces rural evidence and informs national, regional and local policy debates.

The CRC will demonstrate rural analysis techniques, survey practitioners will showcase examples, and the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) Data Support Service will show the potential of survey data held at the UK Data Archive (UKDA) for rural analysis.

To book a place, please contact crcadmin@ruralcommunities.gov.uk.

The ESRC Festival of Social Science is on from 12-21 March 2010 as part of National Science and Engineering Week. To find out more about what's in store for this year's festival, visit the ESRC Festival of Social Science website.

]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:30:13 UT Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:00 UT Integrated Employment and Skills Conference 2010 http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/integratedemploymentandskillsconference http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/integratedemploymentandskillsconference The CRC will be running two seminars and an exhibition at the Integrating Employment and Skills Conference 2010. The theme for these seminars is ‘Delivering effective employment and skills support to vulnerable rural communities’.

The conference is one of the key events for the employment and skills sector during 2010, with several hundred delegates from local authorities, central and regional local agencies, independent employment agencies and skills providers.

Delegates will have an opportunity to learn more about rural labour markets, what it is like to lose a job in a rural area and hear directly from providers about the challenges of and solutions for delivering effective employment and skills programmes to vulnerable clients.

During the seminar we will be encouraging participants to share their ideas and expertise for tackling these challenges.

Register for 'Integrating Employment and Skills Conference 2010'

]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:43:56 UT Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:40:00 UT Tackling stroke care in rural England http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/tacklingstrokecareinruralengland http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/tacklingstrokecareinruralengland The Commission for Rural Communities and The Stroke Association are hosting a landmark event exploring the challenges around service delivery for those affected by stroke in rural England.

We are inviting a handpicked list of stroke service delivery stakeholders to use their expertise, so we can tackle the challenges and develop workable solutions to improve the quality of care for stroke survivors in rural England.

The event will be framed by research of stroke survivor’s experiences, which was conducted by the institute for public policy research for the Commission for Rural Communities.

The day will consist of a mixture of facilitated table discussions and short informative sessions to frame them. The sessions will be led by:

  • Jon Barrick (Chief Executive of Stroke Association)
  • Sarah McAdam (Chief Executive of Commission for Rural Communities)

The all day event (10.00-3.30) will be on 24 March 2010 at The Orange Studios in Birmingham.

The event is designed for 50 delegates.

Schedule
We are taking an innovative approach to the event, keeping presentations short and to a minimum, ensuring they add to delegates understanding of the issues of stroke service delivery in rural areas. The rest of the day will be designed to allow the delegates to take in what they have heard and work together to consider and build solutions to how service delivery in rural areas can be improved.

Delegates
The range of delegates will not have networked before, which will allow a wider viewpoint on these issues, and push innovative thinking towards the issues. The event will be free to ensure minimal barriers to getting the most relevant delegates. The delegate list is handpicked to ensure a good mix and wide range of expertise.

We are working with the Stroke Association and their media volunteers to ensure people who have been affected by stroke in a rural area can relay their experiences to delegates.

For more information please contact stroke.event@ruralcommunities.gov.uk.

Further information about Major Life Events

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:06:03 UT Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:00:00 UT Tackling cancer care in rural England http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/tacklingcancercareinruralengland http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/tacklingcancercareinruralengland The Commission for Rural Communities, Macmillan Cancer Support and the National Health Service are hosting a landmark event exploring the challenges around service delivery for those affected by cancer in rural England.

We are inviting a handpicked list of cancer service delivery stakeholders to use their expertise, so we can tackle the challenges and develop workable solutions to improve the quality of care for cancer patients in rural England.

The event will be framed by research of cancer patients experiences, which was conducted by the institute for public policy research for the Commission for Rural Communities.

The day will consist of a mixture of facilitated table discussions and short informative sessions to frame them. The sessions will be led by:

  • Professor Sir Mike Richards (National Clinical Director for Cancer, Department of Health)
  • Ciarán Devane (Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support)
  • Sarah McAdam (Chief Executive of Commission for Rural Communities)

The all day event (10.00-3.30) will be on 10 February 2010 at The Brewery in London.

The event is designed for 70 delegates.

Schedule
We are taking an innovative approach to the event, keeping presentations short and to a minimum, ensuring they add to delegates understanding of the issues of cancer service delivery in rural areas. The rest of the day will be designed to allow the delegates to take in what they have heard and work together to consider and build solutions to how service delivery in rural areas can be improved.

Delegates
The range of delegates will not have networked before, which will allow a wider viewpoint on these issues, and push innovative thinking towards the issues. The event will be free to ensure minimal barriers to getting the most relevant delegates. The delegate list is handpicked to ensure a good mix and wide range of expertise.

We are working with Macmillan and their cancer voices to ensure people who have been affected by cancer in a rural area attend and relay their stories.

For more information please contact cancer.event@ruralcommunities.gov.uk.

Further information about Major Life Events

'Cancer patients in rural areas call for more local services' press release

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:43:13 UT Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:00:00 UT Excellence in Rural Housing Conference http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/excellenceinruralhousingconference http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/excellenceinruralhousingconference In the current economic environment, how can housing associations achieve excellence and deliver attractive, green affordable rural homes and communities?

This conference will outline the major issues facing rural housing providers and consider what the sector can do to address them. This is an essential forum for anyone involved in developing and building affordable rural homes and communities.

Further information:

Visit www.housing.org.uk/events to view the conference website and download a copy of the conference brochure or book your place online. Alternatively, please phone us on
020 7067 1066 or email events@housing.org.uk.

]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:42:54 UT Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:15:00 UT ‘Agenda for change’ National Summit http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/e28098agendaforchangee28099nationalsummit http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/e28098agendaforchangee28099nationalsummit Many people attended or contributed to our four themed rural economies Summits last year. We are staging a final Summit in London on Tuesday 26 January 2010. We started the series of Summits in February 2009, following our advice to the Prime Minister on how to release the potential of our rural economies, and the government’s response through Hilary Benn, MP and Secretary of State for Defra. We want to share with you an Agenda for change based on what we have heard from the four themed Summits and engage your support in moving forward with some of the issues facing rural economies.

This National Summit is being be held at the Benjamin Franklin Room, RSA House in central London. We will start at 10.30 am (registration from 10 am) and finish with lunch at 1.30, giving a last opportunity to network with people with a belief and role in rural economies.

Two widely respected and well known business and policy leaders have agreed to speak at this Summit, along with our chairman and Rural Advocate Dr Stuart Burgess. Roger Liddle, Chairman of Cumbria Vision and of the international think-tank The Policy Network and David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce will give us their insight into the potential for businesses, investment and innovation.  These have been anchor themes to our Summits, and the reports on which these events were based.

We have also invited the people behind the filmed case studies that have been screened at the themed Summits – so come and meet them in person!

For further details about the day, please see the draft agenda.

We still have some free places at the event. If you would like attend please contact us via email at summits@ruralcommunities.gov.uk  or call 01242 534078.

]]> Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:28:47 UT Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:30:00 UT Healthy Rural Communities: a national conference http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/healthyruralcommunitiesanationalconference http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/healthyruralcommunitiesanationalconference The Commission for Rural Communities is collaborating with the Department of Health (DH), the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to present a major free conference on the health and wellbeing of rural communities.

The conference is aimed at senior councillors and officers in local government, NHS executives and board members, and colleagues from the third sector. It will explore problems associated with living in dispersed rural communities, and the difficulties of service provision in rural areas. It will also challenge the perception that rural living is inherently healthier.

The event will be chaired by BBC journalist John Craven (Countryfile). Speakers, including anticipated ministerial involvement, will highlight practical responses to these issues from around the country. Sessions will include presentations and workshops, ranging from strategy development to successful local intervention. There will also be an exhibition highlighting the work of a number of relevant organisations.

Topics and case studies to be covered will include:

  • Meeting the challenge of an ageing rural population: NHS Cumbria and South Lakeland District Council will be sharing how partnership working is delivering quality services for Cumbria’s older people;
  • Access to Services in a Rural Context: Devon County Council will be sharing the findings of its recent Scrutiny Review into rural access to health and social care services;
  • Improving Rural Health and Wellbeing: The Health Improvement team at the Welsh Local Government Association will be explaining its approach to rural health and wellbeing in Wales;
  • The Public Expenditure Challenge for Rural Health Services: with insights from the Institute for Rural Health and Shropshire PCT;
  • Social Determinants of Health: a member of the Marmot Commission team will be will be discussing the implications for health providers and local government.

Why attend
This event will offer a unique opportunity to:

  • discuss with colleagues the health challenges that impact on rural areas,
  • share good practice from around the country and learn how innovative partnerships and multi-agency working are effectively delivering health services in rural areas.

About the venue
Albrighton Hall is an historic country house located two miles north of Shrewsbury (mainline railway station) on the A528. Shrewsbury has good road connections via the M54 to the M6/M5 and other motorways in the West Midlands area.

Overnight accommodation at the venue is available.

Book a place on 'Healthy Rural Communities: a national conference'

Download the conference agenda

For more information, visit the IDeA website.

]]> Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:21:21 UT Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:30:00 UT Rural transport policy and practice: Opportunities and solutions http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraltransportpolicyandpracticeopportunitiesandsolutions http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraltransportpolicyandpracticeopportunitiesandsolutions Community Transport Association, the Commission for Rural Communities is running an event that considers the key role that community transport plays in rural areas and how it can form part of an integrated network and future government policy for rural areas.

Transport funding, policy, planning and regulation have all undergone change in recent times. What effect has this had on rural services and can community transport still continue to improve access and mobility for rural dwellers? This important one-day event will be hosted by the CTA in conjunction with the Commission for Rural Communities.

Topics to be covered will include:
  • The scope for social enterprise: What future role can social enterprise play within the rural transport sector, how to take this forward and what conditions are needed to make this a success.
  • What makes for successful operation: We will look at the different types of community transport operations and how they are set up to operate. What are their structures and what opportunities are available for them to source sustainable contracts.
  • Examples of good practice: How are the successful schemes operating and what guidelines do they operate under? Can fledgling schemes look to the more successful operators for guidance or mentoring?
  • Addressing social exclusion: What role can community transport play in helping individuals to overcome the mobility problems that exist in rural areas.
  • Opportunities presented by the Local Transport Act 2008: The LTA 2008 enables community transport to engage more fully with the communities it wishes to serve. We will explore how organisations can utilise the changes within the Act to enable them to develop their services.
Speakers will include transport operators, policy specialists and local authority officers. They will examine a wide range of issues and consider how policy and practice should develop in the future. This will be your chance to contribute to the rural transport debate and to ensure that the views of your users and stakeholders are included. The event will be of interest to rural transport operators, rural residents, policy makers, funders, commissioners, consultants and researchers.

Further information on content, speakers and booking details is available at www.ctauk.org, where you can also pre-register any topics or questions you would like to see included on the agenda.]]> Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:17:26 UT Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:00 UT Plunkett foundation conference: Rural communities - The Right to Try http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/plunkettfoundationconferenceruralcommunitiestherighttotry http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/plunkettfoundationconferenceruralcommunitiestherighttotry Faced with declining or threatened local services, limited job opportunities, not enough affordable housing and looming public expenditure cuts, we need new ways to sustain the quality of life in rural communities. 

This conference will go beyond the political rhetoric to explore a specific and practical proposition to return power to rural communities: the Right to Try

For full details view the web item

]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:09:06 UT Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:00:00 UT Launch of ACRE's National Survey of Rural Community Buildings http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/launchofacresnationalsurveyofruralcommunitybuildings http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/launchofacresnationalsurveyofruralcommunitybuildings Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:47:33 UT Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 UT NALC Larger Councils Conference and Exhibition http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/nalclargercouncilsconferenceandexhibition http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/nalclargercouncilsconferenceandexhibition This year’s NALC Larger Councils Conference and Exhibition is themed around community empowerment and localism. Delegates can learn about practical tools available to them to help them empower their own communities.


Confirmed keynote speakers include:


Visit NALC's website to find out more about the event and book a place


]]> Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:11:31 UT Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:00:00 UT Delivering Digital Inclusion: Tackling Social Exclusion Through Technology http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/deliveringdigitalinclusiontacklingsocialexclusionthroughtechnology http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/deliveringdigitalinclusiontacklingsocialexclusionthroughtechnology Gill Payne, one of our Executive Directors, will be speaking at 'Digital Inclusion: Tackling Social Exclusion Through Technology' about rural digital inclusion.


Gill will draw on our report 'Mind the Gap: Digital England - a rural perspective' to talk about:


  • The rural picture-the current state of rural digital inclusion

  • What are the rural issues?

  • Social and community cohesion

  • Universal connectivity in rural areas

  • Next Generation Access – now and in the future


Visit the conference website to find out more about the event and how to attend

]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:23:28 UT Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:45:00 UT Rural Advocate Visit to East Riding: Coastal Communities http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraladvocatevisittoeastridingcoastalcommunities http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/ruraladvocatevisittoeastridingcoastalcommunities Stuart Burgess, our chair and the Government's Rural Advocate, will be visiting East Riding to investigate issues facing coastal communities.


]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:51:11 UT Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 UT 19th Meeting of the Commission for Rural Communities http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/19thmeetingofthecommissionforruralcommunities http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/blog/19thmeetingofthecommissionforruralcommunities The 19th Meeting of the Commission for Rural Communities


Read the agenda for this meeting

Find out more about our Commissioners

Read previous Commission meeting agendas and papers

]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:42:06 UT Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:00 UT