Service availability and accessibility has been a key rural policy issue for many years. In order to monitor changing levels of service availability, we combine datasets that show where outlets of particular services can be found, with postcode level information on the distribution of households.

Topics: data rural-services rural-services data access-to-services access-to-services 

This project, undertaken in partnership with Sector Skills Councils, has included rural analysis of the National Employer Skills Survey 2005.

We'll be publishing these findings later in the ...

The Rural Social Justice Coalition is a group of national organisations working to improve life for the most disadvantaged people in rural areas.

Topics: rural-services access-to-services social-justice rsjc rsjc social-justice 

One of our first major studies was on Disadvantage in Rural Areas. Our 'Securing Social Justice' programme will follow up the priorities for action identified in the study to help individuals to overcome disadvantage.

Departmental officials visited good practice youth projects in the North East, in a two day visit...

Topics: rural-places healthcare young-people best-practice transport education homelessness housing 

One of our Board Members, Alison McLean, was joined by senior staff from the Commission and twelve good practice youth projects from across the South at a Youth Seeing is Believing event...

Topics: rural-places healthcare young-people best-practice transport education homelessness housing 

All of our State of the Countryside reporting is based on application of the Rural and Urban Definition, which was formally adopted by the Office for National Statistics and by government in 2004. ...

Topics: state-of-the-countryside 

The State of the Countryside report, which we publish every year, sets out to provide a broad picture of social, economic and environmental conditions and change across rural England...

Topics: state-of-the-countryside upland-communities uplands data state-of-the-countryside housing 

The State of the Countryside report provides a unique analysis of how rural England is changing. This year's report includes a number of new areas of analysis providing a continuing insight into what is happening in rural communities and the emerging trends and challenges.

Topics: state-of-the-countryside 

State of the Countryside 2008 provides a comprehensive description of social, economic and environmental conditions and changes across rural England, highlighting the main challenges and future trends for government and other organisations.

Topics: data state-of-the-countryside state-of-the-countryside