Blog | Jessica's Rural Words

October 9 2016

Where the wild things are – a ‘future natural’ countryside?

Recent years have seen proposals to reintroduce lynx, wolves and bears into the countryside. The idea has captured the public imagination – but what does “rewilding” mean for rural communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. In 2011, I visited Ennerdale Valley – home to more than 100 species of wildlife, slopes lined with forest, open fell and […]

September 18 2016

Will the government’s new industrial strategy benefit rural communities?

Industrial Strategy is back – Theresa May featured it in her leadership speech as an economic reform “to get the whole economy firing” and now the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has been elevated to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). What does this return to industry/business focused policy-making mean […]

September 6 2016

How to make ‘rural data’ count

Rural-relevant data and statistics are scattered across different websites, in different formats, with different indicators. Data is often collected by (or on behalf of) a given organisation for a specific purpose without thinking about its wider applicability and significance. How can we bring together these scattered pieces of anomalous evidence and use them to make […]

August 21 2016

Avoiding the rural unemployment cliff

Unemployment is falling, but many people are struggling. What can we do to help those people missing out on employment opportunities? And how can we make sure no one is left behind? Jessica Sellick investigates. The ‘employment rate’ is measured using the Labour Force Survey and is defined as the proportion of people aged 16-64 […]

August 7 2016

Shaking up or short-changing rural?

When most of us hear the word ‘philanthropy’ we think of wealthy individuals supporting worthwhile causes. So what role is (and could) philanthropy play in rural communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. In the United States – where philanthropy is synonymous with American history, principles and culture – the term is often referred to as ‘the granting […]