Event report: Manifesto for Rural Scotland events

The Scottish Rural Parliament are holding events across the country to help them create a Manifesto for Rural Scotland.

Ann-Marie Meikle and Don Morrison from the Scottish Rural Network Support Unit attended events in Inverclyde on 4 May and Newtonmore on 17 May to find out more.

There was a healthy turn out at the recent Rural Manifesto Events held at the Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock and the Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore with attendees from a variety of backgrounds and interests.

Emma Cooper, Scottish Rural Parliament National Coordinator, started the session by playing a video from the first Scottish Rural Parliament held in Oban in 2014.

Emma then identified the key themes that came out of the event:

• Scotland needs new democratic structures decided, agreed upon and led by communities.
• Broadband and mobile phone signal are essential services which should be available to all
• Rural communities need to be well connected to services through integrated and affordable transport
• Rural business need to be effectively supported to survive, grow and thrive
• Rural areas require their own set of outcome measures, monitoring arrangements and measures of deprivation.
• Rural communities should be empowered to take action for themselves

Discussion was very lively and covered a wide range of current topics, activities and issues in the local community, such as housing problems, local shops, community councils, broadband, access to health services and barriers to increasing tourism.

The Scottish Rural Parliament want to hear from you. Check out our Events Calendar for information on more upcoming Manifesto for Rural Scotland events. You can also take part by completing their online survey.

The second Scottish Rural Parliament will be held in Brechin, Angus from 6-8 October 2016.

You can watch the film from the 2014 Scottish Rural Parliament below.

Scottish Rural Parliament 2014 from Scottish Rural Parliament on Vimeo.