Blog | Jessica's Rural Words

May 1 2020

Local Authority investments in commercial property – are they cash generators or debt burdens?

Since the mid-2010s some Local Authorities have been building up portfolios of commercial property – from hotels and farms to shopping malls and leisure complexes – putting the profits that are generated into their revenue budgets. With Government now consulting on the lending terms of the Public Works Loan Board – a lending facility used […]

April 4 2020

Kindness is all around us – but what part should it play in policy making?

Kindness is a word we use in many forms – “X is such a kind person” or “Y is not very kind.” If we are kind, our lives and the lives of others are seen to change for the better. While kindness has a part to play in our everyday lives, when we think about […]

March 21 2020

Outliers or trendsetters – are anchor organisations ‘sticking’ to rural communities?

Schools, GP practices, libraries, churches, village halls, shops and post offices are seen as playing a key role in securing the viability of rural communities. In fulfilling social and economic functions they could be described as ‘community anchors’, ‘anchor organisations’ or ‘anchor institutions’ – they have strong ties to the geographic [rural] area where they […]

February 21 2020

Are rural residents ‘retirement-ready’?

Although the idea of offering a State Pension was first proposed in the eighteenth century it was not until the Government established two committees in the 1890s (the Rothschild Committee on Old Age Pensions in 1896 and a Select Committee on the Aged Deserving Poor in 1899) that the matter was fully explored. This led […]

January 6 2020

What does integrated care mean for rural communities?

Public spending on health care is driven by the needs of the population, the resources available and national priorities. Health services are facing unprecedented financial and operational pressures, with many NHS organisations in deficit and key performance standards missed. At the same time, some people require support from both health and social care services and […]