For several years now Action Hampshire has, with funding from Hampshire County Council, provided the secretariat function for the Hampshire Rural Forum.
The Hampshire Rural Forum brings together organisations, groups and individuals with a concern for the economic prosperity and wellbeing of businesses and communities in rural Hampshire. The focus is on raising understanding, finding solutions and providing opportunities for collaboration. Its current Chair is Julie Milburn, CEO and Principal of Sparsholt College, near Winchester.
The Forum is open to anyone with an interest in rural Hampshire. It consists of a core Steering Group and a wider group of interested organisations who receive the Forum newsletter and other news alerts. The Steering Group guides the work of the Forum and usually meets three times a year. It has recently established 4 sub-groups to drive forward what it has agreed are key rural issues locally and find possible solutions.
These groups meet online before steering group meetings and are:
- Connectivity – one of the key issues the group has looked at are the implications of poor digital connectivity in rural areas and how this can be addressed
- Community resilience – members of this group are looking at issues around a sense of community, health and wellbeing, tackling loneliness and rural isolation
- Environmental stewardship – a particular focus of this group has been on sustainable transport as well as highlighting funding available for green initiatives, e.g. tree planting schemes
- Skills and training needs – the group has recently looked at training to enable farmers to better understand available technology, helping them to decide where investment is worthwhile on their estates
Are you interested?
You are very welcome to join one or more of these groups. We are keen to have more ‘voices’ to really help effect change. Please email rosie.duffy@actionhampshire.org who will be able to send you more details.
If you would like to sign up to the mailing list for the wider Forum, please follow this link
