Policy & Practice: Policy into practice - Rural communities must
not be left out of plans
By Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children
Children Now
7 December 2005
Children's centres in every community and access to services through extended schools is a fantastic vision, but the idea of support for all families within pram pushing distance can fall flat when faced with the reality of transport and sustainable levels of use in rural areas. In rural areas a one-size-fits-all approach is not an option.
Rural communities vary from remote, thinly populated areas to villages
on the edges of towns. In some, traditional employment opportunities are
in decline and offer poor pay and prospects. Alongside this is the growth of home working and small scale, high-value
service industries, aided by internet and...