Rural Advocacy and Influence

Since setting up in 1923, a key part of our work has been to provide a “rural voice.”

Today, this means taking evidence from our work in communities across Kent and Medway to help influence those who set policy, allocate budgets or who are looking to encourage new ways of working. The guiding principle of this work is that nobody should be disadvantaged because they live or work in a rural community.

Most of our advocacy and influencing work takes place within Kent and Medway – however we are also members of ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) which uses evidence from rural areas across the country to help affect decisions taken at a national level. ACRE works closely with a number of government departments (particularly Defra and DCLG), the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and a range of civil society organisations.

Our influencing and advocacy work can include making responses to consultation exercises, representing rural communities on a range of partnerships, obtaining press coverage for particular issues and even using forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Examples of bodies we have worked with, or provided information to, recently include:

• Ashford Borough Council
• Bartlett School of Planning (University College London)
• BBC
• Big Local
• Big Lottery Fund
• Canterbury City Council
• Dartford Borough Council
• Defra
• Defra Rural and Farming Network
• Department for Business Innovation and Skills
• Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG)
• Department for Transport
• Dioceses of Rochester & Canterbury
• Dover District Council
• European Commission
• Gravesham Borough Council
• HM Treasury
• Inside Housing magazine
• Kent Association of Local Councils
• Kent CAN
• Kent County Council
• Kent Downs AONB
• Kent Downs & Marshes LEADER Local Action Group
• Kent Housing Group
• Kent Life magazine
• Kent on Sunday newspaper
• Kent Rural Board
• Maidstone Borough Council
• National Association of Local Councils (NALC)
• Office for Civil Society
• Post Office Limited
• Sevenoaks District Council
• Shepway District Council
• Swale Borough Council
• Swale Rural Forum
• Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
• Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
• West Kent LEADER Local Action Group

In return, our ‘rural advocacy and influence’ work helps inform our day-to-day support to community groups, local councils and small businesses across Kent and Medway.

For more information on the above, please contact info@ruralkent.org.uk