What future for coastal communities?

We are an island nation. None of us apparently lives more than seventy-five miles from the sea. Many people feel a strong connection to the coast – as a place for leisure and fishing or for trade, industry and power generation. Others recognise it as a place where the powerful force of nature is never […]

Will the rural productivity plan work?

Reasons why rural areas have grown or declined since the onset of the recession have been examined in research by Defra and other bodies. ‘Economic performance’ and ‘resilience’ have been attributed to a number of factors – from proximity to population and a market place to the availability/speed of broadband. How, then, can we support […]

How can we combat rural loneliness?

For many people, rural sights, sounds and communities are preferable to an urban lifestyle. But for others – particularly the young and elderly – rural living can be difficult, whether shopping for basic foodstuffs, accessing training or employment or socialising. While loneliness and social isolation are not the same thing, both are closely related and […]

Breaking the silence on mental health

According to Defra’s Statistical Digest of Rural England, if you live in the countryside your life expectancy increases and you are less likely to die prematurely from cancer, stroke or coronary heart disease. On average, people born in very rural areas will live up to two years longer than those in major urban area. While […]

How to ensure government ‘thinks rural’

Back in 2010, the government set out a number of policy commitments which were intended to have a direct impact on the countryside. With aspirations to turn old thinking on its head and develop new approaches, the ‘Programme for Government’ set out proposals for the devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government […]

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Jessica Sellick

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