The document discusses challenges faced by rural communities in 2014, focusing on issues such as rural broadband, an aging population, and commissioning of rural services. It emphasizes the need for practical solutions, including collaboration among social enterprises and pushing rural issues onto mainstream planning agendas. Additionally, it highlights the importance of addressing sustainability and barriers between agencies and rural residents.

1. Rural Communities:
development and organising… state
of play in 2014
Challenges for Rural Communities
Exercise
Funded by:
Hosted by:
Wednesday 8 January 2014
Retford Town Hall

2. FROM WHAT YOU HAVE
HEARD TODAY……
• Discuss in your group
– One key rural issue/challenge for you?
– One practical way forward in addressing rural
needs/issues?
– One current/future rural issue/challenge that has
not been addressed today?

3. FEEDBACK GROUP 1
• Issue: rural broadband
• Practical way forward: groups (as a social
enterprise) offering expertise on
neighbourhood planning on non-profit basis –
peer learning and ‘undercutting’ commercial
consultants
• Issue not addressed: how to break down
barriers between agencies and people and
vice versa

4. FEEDBACK GROUP 2
• Issue: growing elderly population in rural
areas – raises issues of access to transport,
services etc
• Practical way forward: push rural issues onto
mainstream planning agency agendas – eg
Local Economic Partnerships
• Issue not addressed:capacity and capabilities
for rural communities to ‘take on’ services

5. FEEDBACK GROUP 3
• Issue: commissioning rural services: issues of
cost, who can deliver and access; are rural
groups excluded from the tendering process?
• Practical way forward: protecting spaces for
rural groups to meet and promotion of mobile
services
• Issue not addressed: sustainability – how to
keep rural communities thriving