Blog | Jessica's Rural Words

May 3 2019

Apprenticeships – training people for (rural) jobs of the future?

Back in 2012, the Richard Review of Apprenticeships explored what apprenticeships should be like in the future, and how they could meet the needs of a changing economy. Upon finding an extraordinary number of qualifications, which could be stitched together in an infinite number of combinations leading to any number of possible outcomes Richard’s called […]

April 6 2019

How can we develop a picture of income [in]equality in the countryside?

Some people have higher incomes and wealth than others. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), average household income in 2018 contracted by 1.6% for the poorest fifth of the nation and rose by 4.7% for the richest fifth. ONS’s statistical bulletin also reveals how median household disposable income growth plateaued at £28,400 in […]

March 11 2019

Developing a theory of change: mapping out the “missing [rural] middle” or (re)describing a process?

A ‘theory of change’ involves people coming together to think about the difference that they want to make (and with whom), the context within which they work and what activities they need to undertake to lead to this positive change. But does a theory of change have a transformative effect on community projects or is […]

February 9 2019

What more can be done to address the “unavoidable smallness due to remoteness” of delivering health care in rural areas?

That it costs more to deliver health and care in rural areas is well-rehearsed among RSN members. But how much more does it actually cost to deliver in rural areas and are these costs recognised in current funding formulae? Jessica Sellick investigates. How much funding is available for the NHS and where does it come […]

January 6 2019

Hidden hunger – how can we tackle food poverty and insecurity in rural areas?

When we think of the word ‘hunger’ we often think about starving children in developing countries. Yet unfortunately this type of hunger is very much a reality for some people living in the UK today. Figures suggest 1 in 6 adults has skipped a meal because they couldn’t afford it and 1 in 12 has […]