 | Navigation | |
| Latest news | |
| Contact us: | |
|
| Rural Officers | |
|
What are rural officers?
Rural officers tackle social exclusion through hands on development work with local groups/organisations and voice within partnership forums and meetings. Social exclusion refers to the situation by which an individual or group find themselves marginalised from jobs, income, decision making and social/neighbourhood and community networks. This can result in an inadequate quality of life. In a rural context this could be attributed to isolation and lack of transport links, prejudice within a community, lack of resources and service provision to meet their needs.
How can rural officers help our community?
The team of rural officers work closely with communities, community groups, parish councils and with officers at District and Borough Councils to identify local needs and find local solutions to these needs, in conjunction with the local community strategy.
They provide information and advice to groups on setting up committees, writing constitutions, accessing funding and project development and management.
Projects have been developed which work with excluded groups such as young people, the Gypsy and Traveller communities, ethnic minority groups and the elderly. This includes an after school activity club for Gypsy and Traveller children to make education enjoyable and fun, youth consultation techniques for community-led planning so their opinions are taken into consideration, disabled access funding support, debt provision training for workers in rural areas and promotion of the RCAN's Wheels to Work scheme.
They all have a remit to assist communities in developing community-led plans. To view further information about community-led plans please click here
Meet the Team
Carola Jones, Team Leader. Works in Rushcliffe and is based with the community shaping team at Rushcliffe Borough Council. She encourages community groups to develop as social enterprises to ensure sustainability. She line manages the other rural officers, and has a county overview of rural issues.
Karen Tarburton, Rural Officer. Works in Bassetlaw and is based with the economic development team at Bassetlaw District Council. She has a special remit to lead on social exclusion issues for RCAN.
Katie Wilson, Rural Officer and Village Halls Advisor. Katie helps rural communities in the district of Newark and Sherwood and has a countywide remit for advising the management committees of village halls and community buildings, working in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Association of Village and Community Halls. This includes providing training and advice on the sustainability, improvement and funding of these valuable community facilities. Katie is also responsible for updating the organisation's funding factsheets and is editor of the organisation's magazine - Rural Voice.
Jenny Kirkwood, Deputy Team Leader. Identifying and co-ordinating the delivery of sustainable events, raising awareness of rural social exclusion issues and working with local communities in Ashfield, Broxtowe, Gedling, and Mansfield to help stimulate community action to tackle local needs.
| | Area covered | Nottinghamshire | | Project contact | Carola Jones - Team Leader | | Telephone | 01623 727600 |  View website |
 |
| |
|
| RCAN projects | |
 |
01623 727600
01623 720148
Send an email