Rural Services
This is the page for the rural services support and advice in Gloucestershire.
New interactive toolkit for communities - click image below to access
Introduction
Through funding secured from Rural Renaissance, GRCC employs a dedicated worker who is able to work with both communities and businesses looking at ways of addressing rural services issues in Gloucestershire. Your first point of call is Chris Cowcher, GRCC Rural Services Adviser and coordinator of the Rural Services Support Group.
Rural Shops and Post Offices
2008 was a year of change for rural services in Gloucestershire. As part of the national Post Office Network Change Programme, 39 post offices closed in the county with 13 of these closures being replaced by a Post Office outreach service point. An outreach service provides limited services during reduced service hours either through a mobile van or in a building in the village.
In July 2008, the Rural Services Support Group launched a Business Support and Enhancement Grant scheme that offered grants of up to £5,000 to rural shops and post offices and also to any community group investigating ways of providing services in Gloucestershire. The scheme, which was funded using Gloucestershire County Council funding, also included one to one business support to each applicant from the village shop specialists Rural Shops Alliance.
This grant scheme concluded in September 2008 and 12 shops and community initiatives were successful in their applications. Each applicant will receive a grant of up to £5,000 and also continued business support during the life span of their project from either RSA or Businesslink.
The successful applicants are:
Cotswold District
Blockley Community Shop
Down Ampney Community Shop
Longborough Village and Community Shop
Rendcomb Stores
Siddington Post Office and Stores
Forest of Dean District
Milkwall Post Office and Stores
Ruspidge Stores
Stroud District
Horsley Shop / Horsley Parish Council
Minchinhampton Post Office
Miserden Stores
Tewkesbury Borough
Minsterworth Post Office and Stores
Twyning Stores
Community shops
Community owned shops are an excellent alternative option to be considered by communities that have lost their local shop through closure or relocation. The Gloucestershire Community Shops Network promotes mutual support and if your community is interested in this option, GRCC and its partners within the Rural Services Support Group can help you. The Gloucestershire Community Shops Network Newsletter can be found in the right hand panel.
Rural Services Support Group
The Rural Services Support Group is a partnership of public, private, voluntary and community sector organisations aiming to identify and address issues affecting rural services in Gloucestershire.
Achievements of the group to date are:
- The establishment of a Gloucestershire community shop network to allow sharing of information, experiences and good practice
- The provision of advice and support to communities and businesses during the Post Office Network Change Programme
- The commissioning of consultancy work from the Rural Shops Alliance for businesses affected by the Post Office Network Change
Programme - The development of the Business Support and Enhancement Grant scheme, funded by Gloucestershire County Council
What is planned for the future?
- Continued support for rural retailers from Businesslink and Rural Shops Alliance
- The ongoing advice services that can be sourced through Chris Cowcher, GRCC Rural Services Adviser
- The publication of a directory of support which includes details of support available from all partner organisations of the rural services
support group and also contact details for these organisations - A rural retail event took place in January 2009 to bring retailers, parish councils, interested residents and county decision makers together to begin to work together to keep our rural services alive
All details of future work will be published on the GRCC website
GRCC web forum
This web forum allows you to openly discuss rural services in Gloucestershire with others in the county or to publicly voice any concerns. Click here to join the GRCC web forum.
Contact
If you have any queries with regards to rural services in Gloucestershire or would like to find out more about the Rural Services Support Group and its work, please do not hesitate to contact Chris Cowcher.
