Funding/Financement : Doing Rural Development in the Economic Downturn

Source: The Arkleton Trust.
Are you interested in an opportunity to promote, and possibly research, an emerging issue concerning rural areas? If so, the Arkleton Trust is inviting expressions of interest from those wishing to develop proposals which will help to determine the future theme(s), on which the Trust will focus its efforts for 2 – 3 years from 2013.

Future themes

The Trust is now looking at what issue/issues it should focus on for the next funding period, commencing in 2013. It has considered several possibilities, including further work on the issue of climate change, in the context of the opportunities this presents for rural communities, or the new area of the role of social networking in rural areas in enabling better communication and breaking down barriers. However, much work is already being carried out on these issues and both are subjects of a fast moving agenda. The Trust has not found a clear role or niche for its intervention in either issue.

At the same time, it is aware that there are now other emerging issues, in particular around the important question of the implications for rural development policy and practice of the global economic downturn and the reduction of the role of the State and the increasing reliance on local communities to ‘fend for themselves’, not just in the UK, but more generally. This is an area on which the Trust believes it could usefully add value and should focus in the future.

The Trust has, therefore, decided to open up the process for identifying future themes, within this broad area of interest, and to invite ideas to help it determine what these might be and where it should focus its efforts.

Expressions of interest – Stage One – now until January 2012
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WWW: www.arkletontrust.co.uk