Blog | Jessica's Rural Words

May 21 2016

Revealed: Defra’s rural policy plan

The departmental plan published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) details its policy priorities for 2015-2020. But what does that mean for rural communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. Single Departmental Plans (SDPs) describe the objectives of the Government over the current parliament and how each department is fulfilling these commitments. SDPs contain […]

May 8 2016

Universities and local authorities – working together for “rural” people and places?

Through their teaching and research, universities are now seen as critical in driving economic growth, prosperity and innovation. They combine global reach with local rootedness – offering well-paid employment to large numbers of people (with their staff and students adding substantially to consumer expenditure). Local Authorities also play a pivotal role in creating the conditions […]

March 13 2016

Where next for Place-based working?

Many local authorities are thinking about or implementing new models of place-based working. In essence, these are person-centred, bottom up approaches to meet the needs of people in a given location – with residents and Local Authorities working together to use the best available resources to generate positive outcomes. So what place based models are […]

January 25 2016

The importance of rural volunteers

From providing services in your local community to doing whatever is required to help out, understanding the social value of volunteering is now finding its way onto the policy agenda. What traditional and newer measurement approaches are emerging and what do they mean for rural communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. Back in October 2014, Bank of England […]

December 14 2015

What next for rural careers education?

Careers guidance should be at the heart of schooling, for it plays a vital part in helping young people navigate from education to work. So what is the Government’s approach to careers guidance and will small rural schools be there to deliver it? Jessica Sellick investigates. Pre-2009 there was a national careers service that worked […]