Supporting rural services
"In order for Gloucestershire Communities to survive and thrive there must be access to services locally"
GRCC works with communities and businesses to address rural services issues in Gloucestershire. We work in traditional or creative ways with; privately owned businesses, community action groups, interested residents and community owned enterprises to keep rural services open and accessible to all. We've worked with communities on projects offering services such as broadband provision, post office services, banking, social facilities (including pubs and community centres), rural retail, childcare and health services.
The lead member of staff for Community and Social Enterprise and rural service issues is Chris Cowcher, christopherc@grcc.org.uk.
- GRCC run a community shops network, keeping all members in touch with each other, encouraging them to learn from one another. To read more about the 11 members Gloucestershire Community Shops Network and what advice and support is available to new shop projects from GRCC and other organisations please click here.
- To find out how GRCC is working with Gloucestershire First to bring high-speed broadband providers to Gloucestershire please click here.
Rural Services Support Group
GRCC coordinates the Gloucestershire Rural Services Support Group (RSSG).The RSSG is a partnership of public, private, voluntary and community sector organisations aiming to identify and address issues affecting rural services in Gloucestershire.
Please contact Chris Cowcher if you would like to learn more about the group or would like to contact one of the member organisations. The RSSG is the first point of contact for rural services in Gloucestershire
Members of the RSSG include:
- Rural Shops Alliance
- Co-Operative Futures
- Post Office Ltd
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Plunkett Foundation
- Gloucestershire First (GFirst)
- Gloucestershire Rural Community Council
- The Diocese of Gloucester
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Cotswold District Council
- Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Stroud District Council
- Forest of Dean District Council
Over the last few years the RSSG has:
- Provided direct 1 to 1 support for community and social enterprises (including community owned facilities)
- Act as an advice and signposting service to expert support for private enterprises (including privately owned shops and post offices)
- Worked in partnership to provide neutral advice and support to communities and businesses during the Post Office Network Change Programme in 2008
- Commissioned expert consultancy work from the Rural Shops Alliance for businesses affected by the Post Office Network Change Programme
- Offered continued support to communities wanting advice relating to sustaining postal services locally
- development of the Business Support and Enhancement Grant scheme, funded by Gloucestershire County Council which supported 12 projects in the county
The group has also developed a directory of support which includes case studies and advice sheets relating to good examples of keeping services open. The directory also includes details of support available from all partner organisations of the rural services support group. To view the directory of support please click here.
Contact details
If you would like to find out more about the Rural Services Support Group and its work, including free 1 to 1 advice and support please contact Chris Cowcher at christopherc@grcc.org.uk or 01452 528491.
GRCC provides support to community and social enterprises in Gloucestershire as part of the Rural Development Programme for England. Please click on the logo above to find out about what support is available.
GRCC is a mentoring organisation for the Store is the Core Programme, and is available to work with village shops across Gloucestershire. Please click on the logo above to find out about what support is available.
Store is the Core is managed by Community First (Wiltshire) with funding from the Rural Development Fund for England (RDPE) an EU and DEFRA European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development:Europe investing in rural areas. The programme supports independent and community shopkeepers across the whole region through Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, B&NES and Gloucestershire