Services
Vital services are in decline in many rural areas which is leading to depopulation, fewer high-quality and skilled jobs, overall lower standards of living and a degradation of community cohesion/resilience and an associated increase in isolation. These services include healthcare, childcare, education, public transport, community facilities (such as libraries) and social care. On the other hand, there are some very positive examples of agencies working together to deliver multiple services in partnership in shared locations.
We will be looking into how the loss of some services is threatening the social fabric of rural areas, how they affect the economy, and what the alternative methods are for delivering some of these.