….. as those who work in the field of social and economic regeneration know, keeping abreast of news and funding can typically take up 20-30% of a regeneration worker's time; time which could be much better spent 'doing' rather than reading.
Today's launch of xPRESS Digest offers a simple answer to information overload, in the form of an email summary straight to your mailbox. This service has already proved its value amongst members of ruralnet|uk, the Community Broadband Network, Community Action Network and other voluntary and community networks, who enjoy it at subsidised rates. The digest, compiled each day from over 100 sources of regeneration and funding, will appeal to a wide base of urban and regeneration development agencies and local authorities, as well as consultants, academics and those who work in the media.
Demand for xPRESS news means that ruralnet|uk will now offer the service to a wider audience, as a standalone commercial product, through its trading subsidiary, RNUK Ltd. This is an important part of the charity's burgeoning social enterprise activity, and surpluses will be used to develop free and subsidised services for smaller voluntary and community groups.
xPRESS Digest gives UK-wide coverage, plus items from Europe and further afield. Each news item in the handy summary is carefully selected for its relevance, delivered to the subscriber's email inbox and hyperlinked to the original story.
Company Secretary, David Head said of the new developments,
"It is an exciting time at the moment for ruralnet|uk as we work towards developing information products on a commercial basis to underpin our charitable work. We regard ruralnet|uk as a successful, sustainable enterprise, and we have achieved this by developing the highest quality services for those who cannot afford to pay, then selling these, as commercial products, to those who can. Charities generally are finding it harder to obtain core grant funding and this is definitely the way forward for our organisation."
Notes to editors
1. ruralnet|uk is a registered charity (registered charity number: 1089238) working in the area of social and economic rural regeneration and development.
2. RNUK Ltd is a trading subsidiary operating on a commercial basis with profits gift-aided back to the charity.
3. ruralnet|uk was formerly part of The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) and became independent in 2002.
4. The charity and trading subsidiary operate a number of high value online services aimed primarily at the voluntary sector, together with consultancy, news, and training services.
5. For further information, for an example of xPRESS Digest go to www.xpd.org.uk, or to discuss the possibility of more in depth coverage contact n.boileau@ruralnetuk.org.
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