Major Rural Development Conference Returns to the West Midlands
ruralnet|uk and Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, are working together to deliver ruralnet|2007, our major 2-day conference in October this year.
Entitled Rural Futures - Who Cares?, the event aims to be deliberately challenging and will tackle some controversial subjects, such as asking who is actually taking responsibility for rural housing, for reducing carbon emissions, for our rural economy and for the future of schooling in rural areas?
By tackling these and many other issues, ruralnet|uk aims to stimulate activity and change, galvanising rural organisations and agencies.
The event will bring together some 250 people with a direct interest in the vitality of our rural communities. Funding has been made available to ensure that rural community activists and individuals are represented and can take an active part in the various debates. In addition, an exhibition this year will focus on ways of addressing our rural carbon footprint, and showcase examples of where collective community action is making a difference.
ruralnet|2007 will be addressed by Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector and takes place on 10th and 11th October at The Belfry near Sutton Coldfield.
Simon Berry, Chief Executive of ruralnet|uk said "It's great to be bringing the event back to our home region after several years on the road. This promises to be our best event yet, because we're asking some controversial questions and inviting rural communities themselves, rather than politicians, to come and answer them."
This sentiment was echoed by Mark Pearce, Corporate Director for Economic Regeneration at Advantage West Midlands, who added "this will be a great opportunity to debate the range of issues facing our rural areas and to gain a much clearer insight into the ways we can make a positive impact on those issues in the future.”
For information on the event and bursary scheme, click here.
Notes to Media
1. ruralnet|uk is a charity working for the social and economic welfare of rural areas across the UK.
2. "Rural Futures - Who Cares?" is our 7th conference, the event runs in a different region each year.
3. For information or to discuss media/photo opportunities please contact Chief Executive Simon Berry on 0845 1300 411 or at [email protected]
4. Advantage West Midlands is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England whose role is to provide leadership and action to create more and better jobs, and an improved quality of life for all in the West Midlands.
5. Funding for free delegate places is provided by the Department for Food, Environment, and Rural Affairs (Defra)
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