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New rural research commissioned
Monday 18 December 2017 - 16:30
Professor Sarah Skerratt of SRUC has been appointed by the Prince's Countryside Fund to carry out research into the sustainability of rural communities across the UK.
The Recharging Rural research will look at challenges facing rural communities now, as well as those that could arise in the future. The final report will aim to make recommendations for rural communities in sparsely populated areas to enhance their self-sufficiency, viability and resilience into 2030 and beyond.
The research will seek views from stakeholders via workshops in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, as well as casting the net as wide as possible through a Call for Evidence in February/March 2018.
Professor Skerratt said:
"I am thrilled to have been selected to work with The Prince’s Countryside Fund to deliver this critically important piece of research, which will raise awareness of how rural communities in the UK’s sparsely populated areas are addressing their particular challenges. We will highlight what appears critical to supporting resilient rural communities. We will make specific recommendations for action to work against social and economic isolation, plus indicate pathways for future policy consideration.
"What makes this research particularly exciting is that, while it will deliver an increased, shared understanding across Wales, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, it will also assist the strategic approach of The Prince’s Countryside Fund to plan and deliver its future support to rural communities for years to come. I therefore feel immensely privileged to have this opportunity to work with people across the UK to identify ways forward into 2030 and beyond."
Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, said:
"Since HRH The Prince of Wales set up the Fund in 2010, we have worked in many ways to support rural communities and businesses, from our grant programme giving out over £1.2 million each year, to our direct delivery initiatives such as The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme.
“We have learnt that many of the challenges facing rural communities are specific, and solutions applied to aid social cohesion in urban areas are not always replicable here. We are delighted to be working with Professor Skerratt and the team at SRUC, and look forward to this research producing tangible, practical solutions to help address some of the thorny issues facing the people who live and work in the British countryside."
The research will be published in July, to coincide with The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s annual awareness campaign National Countryside Week which runs from Monday 30 July through to Sunday 5 August 2018.
For more information and to keep up to date with the research’s progress and to find out the topics for the Call for Evidence, visit the Prince's Countryside Fund website.