Action In Rural Sussex

The latest July edition of the Action newsletter has been released. It focuses on Young People and Employment and contains a number of articles which outline how various projects in Sussex are working to enhance the employability of young people. These projects include the Sussex EDGE Learner Forum which provides an essential linkage between young people (15-19) and employers. Another article provides an overview of the Billingshurst Youth Enterprise Scheme which represents a community response to the shortage of activities for younger people and seeks to introduce them to local businesses. 

Other articles provide coverage of the different experiences of those running community buildings in obtaining funding, as well as an update of the Heart of the Village campaign currently being run by AirS to support community buildings and volunteers. This includes an overview of how our petition to the Prime Minister for greater lottery funding for community buildings is progressing, and how this campaign will form the basis of our Annual Conference in November.

Coverage is also provided on the issue of growing food and providing local allotments which has become increasingly apparent and prioritised within numerous communities across Sussex recently. The economic downturn along with other factors have led many rural dwellers to seek out alloments and land for growing, this has placed pressure on the current supply of allotments and land. Examples of how communities have developed successful responses to this increased demand are provided, together with an explanation of the responsibilities for Parish and Town Councils in providing allotments for residents.

This latest edition also provides an update on the work of the East Sussex and West Sussex Rural Partnerships and Forums, the Partnerships for Older People, news on the LEADER programme and coverage of the winners of the 2009 Sussex Village of the Year competition. A photography competition run by AirS is being launched over the summer with the winner announced at the Annual Conference.  

Electronic copies of the latest edition of the newsletter may be obtained here

The latest edition of the ‘Action’ newsletter has been released and contains articles on a wide range topics. These include the launch of the ‘Heart of the Village Campaign’ through which Action in rural Sussex is championing the cause of rural community buildings and those that run them. More details on this campaign can be found here.

The campaign seeks to highlight and obtain recognition for the the important role which community facilities play, particularly in rural areas of the county. A key element of this campaign is a petition to the Prime Minister which asks for specific Big Lottery funding to assist the operation of Community Buildings and Facilities in rural areas - to add your name to the petition please click here. In addition to the petition, Action in rural Sussex is also establishing a fund to support its role in assisting community buildings across the county - to contribute to this fund please click here.

This edition also contains an article on the prestigious 2008 Richmond Award which was won by Denise Campbell of the Billingshurst Community Partnership for her work in leading a programme of activities for young people. Other topics covered in this edition include feedback and coverage from the West Sussex Rural Forum meeting into the landbased economy; the development of a 21st Century Village toolkit for rural communities to assist them in planning their settlement; the Power of Well-being changes for Parish and Town Councils and coverage of the Government’s response to the Matthew Taylor Review.

Please click here for an electronic copy of the Action Newsletter or use the Contact Us facility to request a hard copy.

If you wish to comment on any of the issues raised in this edition, please use the reply boxes situated below or contact us by e-mail at info@ruralsussex.org.uk

The latest edition of the AirS newsletter has been released, for an electronic copy please click here. This edition of Action focuses on the rural economy with a number articles investigating the current and potential future implications of the economic downturn. A particular emphasis has been placed on those issues that have been and are likely to continue to be significantly impacted on by the slowdown in the economy such as the provision of affordable housing, or the state of the land-based sector. Like many organisations, AirS is attempting to gather information and evidence to assess the nature and extent of change in the rural economy. If you have any evidence of problems that have arisen as a direct consequence of these changes then please let us know.

The newsletter also provides feedback from the Action in rural Sussex Annual Conference entitled ‘Rural Services. Hard to Reach or Hard to Find’ much of which was linked to the existing and future patterns of rural service delivery in Sussex. Other articles cover the launch of the 2009 Village of the Year Competition, an update on Community Buildings and the progress made in relation to health services in West Sussex.

If you require a hard copy of the newsletter, or would like to be added to the mailing list for an electronic copy of the newsletter please contact us.