As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, rural communities are often left behind and with a majority of Norfolk's communities being rural, this is something that impacts our county directly. Rural equality has never been more important, however it seems as though there is little momentum toward resolving the issues faced by rural communities.
A new report from experts in the East calls for a rebalancing of transport policy and investment to accelerate improvements for rural communities and highlights the need for longer-term funding for all Local Authorities.
Find out more about a campaign that seeks to address and correct the longstanding unequal resource allocation that has historically placed rural areas at a disadvantage.
The planned changes within the telecommunications industry to move landline telephone services in the UK to a fully digital network over the coming months has caused concern, particularly for those in rural communities.
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) have created a survey with Utility Aid to better understand how the energy price rise is affecting Village Halls.
In a report from ACRE and the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, it was estimated that a third of households in West Norfolk and part of King's Lynn were to be in fuel poverty when energy prices increase this April.
CAN is working in partnership with Future Projects in combating social isolation in the Breckland and North Norfolk districts of the county. We'd be grateful if those reading this and living or working in Breckland or North Norfolk could share this information - especially to anyone you know who may be interested in volunteering. Thank you.
Many of you reading this will know about ThinkingFuel, our collective heating oil buying scheme. And you’ll know that the aim is to help support householders across Norfolk who depend on heating oil to heat their homes, and for whom the unregulated cost of heating oil is a constant worry.
Our CANConnect initiative works with partner agencies across the North Norfolk district of Norfolk and Waveney CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) to help connect people with activities in their locality, as well as providing individuals with one-to-one support in identifying and achieving their personal goals. CANConnect also provides support for the community itself, helping organisations and people make the places where we live stronger, friendlier, and more resilient.
The Arts and Culture sector is an important element in the VCSE fraternity, in the context of community engagement and outreach, and addressing local health issues such as social isolation and loneliness. Natalie Jode, Executive Director at Creative Arts East, has seen the impact of the pandemic on operational capability and capacity across the county.