Rural Services - Community services - shops, post offices, health and community care
Village Shops
Village shops are vital to the life and future of all villages. Many of the people who live in village communities cannot, or do not want to, travel to large supermarkets and enjoy the local interaction that can take place in a village shop.
Many rural communities are finding that the only sure way to secure their post office and/or village shop, for the long-term, is to form a community-owned enterprise to take over the ownership and operation. For information specifically about community-owned shops, visit the Rural Community Shops pages on the Plunkett Foundation Website
RCCs and Economic well-being
The Commission for Rural Communities has just published Understanding Economic Wellbeing to promote understanding and commitment to economic well-being in rural England. The publication explains economic well-being and its relevance to communities, public policy makers and service delivery organisations. It identifies some critical success factors for those interested in promoting or participating in economic well-being projects and lists 13 good practice case studies.
Two of the featured projects are delivered by RCAN members:
Oxfordshire Village Shops Development Worker Scheme, run by Oxfordshire RCC view
Oxfordshire’s response to closures of village shops and post offices is to set up a Village Shops Development Worker Scheme, which has been running since 1999, giving advice and support both to independently-owned village shops and shops run by members of the community.
Shropshire Wheels to Work which has been delivered by Shropshire RCC view
Wheels to Work is an innovative transport solution scheme that aims to break the vicious cycle of ‘no job, no money, no vehicle, no job’ which disadvantages many rural people by giving individuals their own transport to employment or training.
Post Offices
The Post office network has seen several significant changes and other proposals in recent years. These have generated much debate, attracted strong views and opposition nationally not least in rural areas. The actual and potential impacts on services are significant nationally and in rural areas especially so because of the central community and services hub position post offices hold. It is unsurprising then that of greatest impact was caused by the Network Change Programme and its subsequent restructuring of the post office network resulting in the closure of many branches. Also important has been the initiatives to establish a Post Bank and part privatise Royal Mail.
ACRE has prepared a Briefing (August 2009) about the changes to the post office network nationally and in rural areas view here
ACRE’s submission to the BERR Select Committee on the future of the Post Office Network
The Business and Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (or BERR) Select Committee recently requested evidence about how the post office network could be secured into the foreseeable future. ACRE’s has submitted a response submission on behalf of the RCAN Network, many of whose members also made individual responses both as RCAN members or regional bodies. This was made following the post office closure programme that was widely and actively opposed across RCAN. View here
Currently the post office is subsidised by £150 million per year and BERR’s inquiry wanted answers to how a comprehensive post office network could be insured for the benefit of the public. The evidence requested included which services the post office should provide and the level of subsidy that it needs.
ACRE welcomed the opportunity to submit evidence. We made a call for increased diversification of post office services, stressing the potential for the network to extend its banking services. We also emphasised that many post offices in rural areas might need ongoing subsidy in order to provide essential services to local communities.
Consultation from Department for Business Innovation & Skills on Post office banking
ACRE made a response to this consultation in February 2010 following input from RCAN members. Post banking proposals were strongly advocated in last year’s BERR Select Committee report on the future of the post office network above. ‘ACRE welcomes the opportunity to respond to the consultation proposals for post office banking and is pleased that the Government is considering ways to develop and extend the products and services that the Network provides. We hope that this is one way to secure its future as a fundamental service in rural communities’. Read more here …
Pubs
ACRE Briefing: Pubs – the situation and their future in rural areas
The position of pubs (nationally and in rural areas) and their communities appears bleak if the current situation of closures and job losses continues. RCAN supports communities being empowered to bring about change for their communities but to enable this to happen additional action is required.
Within this concerning situation there are many examples of activity taking place that is benefitting pubs in both rural and urban communities. At the heart of this work has been Pub is the Hub. Operating since 2001, it seeks to support pubs to be the focal point of community services. It encourages pub owners, licensees and their local communities to work together to support and retain local services by, where possible, bringing services into the pub itself. Much of this work is taking place in rural areas.
ACRE has prepared a briefing on the topic.
Examples of RCAN member’s work on rural services
Village shops and post offices
Rural Services
- Voluntary Action Cumbria has published guidance on setting up an Exchange a local meeting place and venue for selling goods and services in your community in the face of the loss of rural services The Exchange Approach Guidance
Social Enterprise
- Action in Rural Sussex (AiRs) produces guidance to communities on setting up and sustaining social enterprises (businesses with a social benefit core aim) Social Enterprise Support
Other Links
The Campaign for Community Banking Services
The Campaign for Community Banking Services pressure group is a co-coordinating body for national organisations representing sectoral interests adversely affected by the closure of local bank branches, particularly of the last or only bank in a rural or urban community. http://www.communitybanking.org.uk/ |
