Sustainable Communities

Building Economic Capacity in Rural Communities

"Supporting rural communities as they identify and implement ways of addressing their needs and aspirations"

Organisation: Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland)

Completion Date: 30/04/2007

Location

Any community in Leicestershire with under 10,000 population

Project Description

Our community consultation project brought people together and made us realise we could achieve so much by working with the Rural Community Council to formulate an approach to authorities and funding bodies to make things happen. We hadn't realised how many people there were out there to help us achieve our varied goals. Bill Richmond, Chairman, Stoughton Parish Plan Group

Background
The nucleus of the project has been in existence for seven years and has grown and evolved to respond to current needs. The project assists community volunteers to carry out consultation projects at the heart of the community.

Details
Projects identify local priorities and encourage the formation of action plans that can be implemented in partnership with service providers. This element brings a new dimension that will enable the project to further enhance capacity building within the community to encourage social cohesion, economic growth and sustainability through self-help.

Outcomes

Objectives:
Fostering a helpful environment

• Encourage local volunteers to become involved in projects that will enhance their own skills while providing solutions to a range of rural needs.
• Create environments in which local enterprise can grow and flourish to provide for local needs.
• Improve rural infrastructure by identifying transport needs and finding local solutions.
• Build social capital and create enterprising communities by encouraging the growth of social enterprises.

Learning and training

• Identify and help to foster and support lifelong learning culture across all agencies.
• Identify needs and promote the use of ICT and Broadband and training in the necessary skills to make use of it.

Working with the community

• Work towards economic social inclusion by promoting social enterprise and supporting economic regeneration.
• Work with public, voluntary and community sectors in ensuring that enterprise and innovation are important elements in service delivery.
• Build the capacity of communities to help them to become more sustainable by working closely with the voluntary and community sectors.
• Tackle social exclusion by providing practical support for local economic renewal.

Project Contacts

Project manager:
Diana Cook
Tel: 0116 268 9706
E-mail: dcook@ruralcc.org.uk
Website: www.ruralcc.org.uk

LSEP contact:
Gill Smitherman
Tel: 0116 257 5676
Email: gills@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk