Following on from our workshop at the ‘Raising the voice of the sector’ event on Friday 8 November, we’d like share with you some key topics which arose from our discussions.
These fitted into four broad categories:
- Good connections – transport, services, digital
- Strong communication – digital and traditional
- Facilities – well-used and effectively managed
- Cohesion – a community which includes everyone
The workshop participants identified a range of issues and challenges under each category, along with lists of actions rural communities can take for themselves and messages for local and national partners.
Here are some of the identified actions that rural communities can take:
- Enable volunteering, including being welcoming to newcomers. Offer people different ways of contributing, to suit their interests and available time.
- Identify and share skills within your community.
- Improve communication – set up ways people can share needs and ideas, create a local information hub (online and in a physical public place).
- Raise awareness and funds around local community issues.
And some of the messages for public sector and other partners:
- Facilitate or directly carry out community engagement and needs assessment.
- Other organisations make their facilities available for community use.
- Support local infrastructure organisations (like Action Hampshire).
- Provide good basic infrastructure – buses, education, internet, affordable housing (a more long-term issue, of course)
What matters to your rural community?
Please share your views with kevin.sawers@actionhampshire.org
