Rural Access Project
Over the past twelve months, the Malvern Hills
Partnership has been working hard to understand the key issues
affecting those living in rural areas. In 2009 the partnership
commissioned a research project, entitled ‘Knowing our Communities’
which looks at life events and how people living in the wards of
Martley and Longdon, two of our most rural areas, cope through
them.
That project was completed late 2010 and key findings
included:
- Improving Access to Rural Transport -
Transport and access to services is one of the biggest concerns for
many people living in rural areas, and this was certainly the case
for many of those interviewed for this project.
- Promoting and making ICT more accessible in rural areas
- ICT has become increasingly important in enabling people
to undertake activities and access opportunities. From carrying out
their weekly shopping, to seeking information about employment
opportunities and local services, as well as providing a direct way
to access services such as paying bills or getting treatment for
health problems.
- Signposting and Providing Support and Information to
Those Living in Rural Areas - It can be difficult to
ensure that older people in rural areas have easy access to the
information and the services they need to enable them to maintain a
quality of life that includes good health and well being.
Now that the relevant research has been
carried out, the Malvern Hills Partnership will launch a
Rural Strategy, designed to tackle these three key
issues associated with living in a rural area.
Actions over the next 12 months will include:
- Appointing a Rural Access Coordinator to oversee work within
the two pilot areas
- Analyse local transport provision to establish where the gaps
are and what possible solutions exist
- Review broadband availability to understand the actual and
potential internet access and usage within Martley and Longdon
- Map the availability of public services and community
facilities to understand what exists where, and how it could be
better utilised to meet the needs of rural communities
- Identify local leaders and establish a working group that will
aid the bottom up approach to implementing solutions
- Discuss and evaluate any proposals for tackling rural access so
that local communities and the relevant partners support and
understand any future plans for improvement.
