Following the Prime Minister calling a general election for Thursday 4 July, charities and other non-profit organisations have a great opportunity to raise the profile of rural Hampshire and bring opportunities and issues into focus.
Charities have some restrictions on what they can do in the political arena but the Charity Commission and national support body NCVO have in-depth guidance to help us make the most of the election campaign.
NCVO’s general election guidance for charities is here
The Charity Commission’s guidance on political campaigning is here
Action Hampshire supports rural communities
Supporting rural communities is a key part of the work we do. Around 75% of Hampshire is classified as rural, representing almost a quarter of the county’s population (see Hampshire County Council’s website) so rural matters are a priority for us. Not only do we provide administrative and communications support for the Hampshire Rural Forum (thanks to funding from Hampshire County Council), but we also ensure that rural communities have their concerns, issues and solutions considered and taken into account.
Follow this link for more information about the Hampshire Rural Forum
Help make sure rural matters stay on the political agenda
With a general election imminent, we’re encouraging you to make sure rural matters stay on the political agenda. We’ve pulled together some useful resources to help you. Organisations working in rural areas should check out the Rural Services Network’s ‘Winning the Rural Vote’ resources.
They contain a series of requests to the political parties, summarised in three points:
- Listen to the needs of rural communities
- Understand the challenges they face
- Take action to support their potential
Our national partner charity ACRE has also issued a media release drawing attention to the particular issues facing rural communities. Feel free to use these resources in your campaigning.
