A map has been published to show the areas of England that will be covered by Defra’s new farming and rural networks. The 14 networks, of which Rural Network East Midlands is one, have been set up to identify and feed back local issues and concerns to Government to help inform policy making. To download the map and view the full list of the Rural and Farming Network groups visit http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/news/politics/item/1688-map-reveals-rural-network-areas
The next meeting of the Rural Network East Midlands Strategic Panel will be held on Wednesday 25th April at the NFU offices in Uppingham, Leicestershire, starting at 10.30am and finishing at approximatley 12.30pm. If you would like to attend please contact Julie Bowers jbowers@rcan.org.uk Tel: 01623 727600.
Rural Network East Midlands held their first conference on 22nd March 2012 to give delegates a chance to explore how new policies and initiatives will provide opportunities and challenges for rural communities and to highlight how RNEM intends to support future rural growth. The event which was hosted by Welbeck Estates was supported and sponsored by Smiths Gore, theUK’s leading firm of land agents and rural surveyors and Chaired by Geoff Stevens MBE.
Dr Penny Bramwell, Deputy Head of Defra Rural Communities Policy Unit began the morning with a National Overview and explained how Defra are striving to develop rural policy and to ensure mainstream policy is rural proofed. Sophie Churchill OBE, Chief Executive of the National Forest Company lead the next presentation supported by representatives of the East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships. The morning session was finished off by Mark Spencer, who gave his own personal account of what it is like to be a local farmer, business man and MP.
The afternoon session began with a presentation by David Collier, Chief Rural Affairs Advisor for the NFU and was followed by an overview of Rural Network East Midlands given byJulie Bowers, Network Co-ordinator. The main activity of the afternoon was in the form of a workshop in which delegates explored the current issues in rural areas and came up with ideas on how the network might develop to help meet the challenges faced by communities.
Feedback from the event was very positive. A full list of the issues raised and ideas to help which came out of the workshop and the presentation slides from all of the speakers can be found in the downloads section of this website.
