Welcome to Rural Wisdom.
Many older people in the UK live in rural communities. Rural Wisdom is working to make rural communities work well for people as we get older and for other people who live there.
The project began in 2017. Since then we have been busy working with communities in Scotland and Wales to support community action led by older people. In 2019 we are spreading into new areas.
These are some of the things that have happened.
- Over 3,200 people are involved in Rural Wisdom.
- We’ve helped new groups get started and existing ones keep going. The activities and groups that are happening in the local areas are benefitting thousands more people.
- We’ve brought in an additional £370,000 for local activities in the first areas, plus a lot of help-in-kind resources from people, groups and businesses.
- We’ve given older people in rural areas another way to have a voice. We’ve contributed to plans at the Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, UK Government and House of Lords, as well as to local plans.
- We’re raising the experiences and the contributions of older people in rural areas on transport, housing, reducing social isolation, access to care and support, working to keep shops and local services, and developing the rural economy.
- We are part of networks that bring together people in rural areas in Scotland, Wales and across the rest of the UK.
- Other organisations are beginning to do more for people in rural areas now they hear how people want the services and see how it can be done.
Throughout the Rural Wisdom project, its important that we hear, gather & share stories of what’s happening & what’s working well across the country.
Please get in touch if there’s something you know of which you think should be showcased and shared. Below are a few hints for the kind of examples we are looking for:
- something starting from the experiences and views of older people
- something which shows the impacts for people living in a rural community
- something which is focused on older people, or is intergenerational / involves the whole community
- something which has been developed and managed by older people
- something which people in other areas might learn from
Keep up with what's happening on our local area pages, via our blog and by signing up to the Rural Wisdom newsletter.
Get in touch:
- hello@ruralwisdom.org
- 0141 419 0451
- 3.10 / The Whisky Bond / 2 Dawson Rd / Glasgow / G4 9SS
“The Rural Wisdom project will ensure that older people in both Scotland and Wales will have their voices heard about things which matter most to them.
It is a great example of how National Lottery funding can make a real difference to people’s lives and specifically the lives of older people living in rural communities.
I am sure that it will bring many benefits to those involved, including boosting confidence and skills and empowering older people to participate in and shape activities within their local areas.”
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn
Have your energy bills been impacted by Coronavirus?
Do you live in the North East of Scotland and have a pre-payment meter? If so Home Energy Scotland might be able to help 👇Funding in place to help tenants and residents with fuel bills
Home Energy Scotland has been successful in receiving funding to provide prepayment meter top up vouchers to customers to offset the increased fuel costs caused by being at home longer as a result of the lock down. Home Energy Scotland has been awarded £148,813 which will provide 3037 £49 prepaid top up vouchers. The funding is for households in the North East of Scotland (including Perth & Kinross, Dundee City, Angus, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray) and will be distributed on a first come first served basis.
The project will last 3 months (or until funding has been fully spent). A person can claim up to 3 vouchers (one voucher per month) during this period. The criteria is as follows:
• Resident in one of above Local Authority areas
• Pre-Payment Meter
• Impacted by Coronavirus – increased time in house/higher energy bills/living in fuel poverty
• 1 x £49 voucher per household per month (up to £147 if fund lasts for the 3 months)
To apply for the voucher, the household can call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 and request the voucher from 1st July 2020
Like many projects, Rural Wisdom delivery has been hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Pembrokeshire & Flintshire Rural Wisdom team acted very quickly to re-design their work to face what was coming. They looked at what their communities might need, what they wanted to achieve to meet that need and what they could deliver practically.
A new Coronavirus Response project was launched which enables them to recruit, DBS-check, train and provide ongoing support to volunteers as they help those self-isolating or shielding in the community with shopping, prescription collection, dog-walking and telephone befriending.
This response work has enabled our Pembrokeshire & Flintshire team to maintain a presence within the community as well as relationships with local authorities, partners and, of course, community members.
Find out more in our latest blog.
Pembrokeshire & Flintshire COVID-19 Response Project – Rural Wisdom
ruralwisdom.org
Pembrokeshire & Flintshire COVID-19 Response Project By OTBJune 24, 2020June 24, 2020 Categories: Wales Tags: Covid-19 response, Rural Wisdom, Volunteering Matters Leave a comment We hope you are well and adapting to the current way of living. It certainly has been a challenging few months. Like man...Transport is an issue that we hear about on a regular basis in the Scottish Borders. The Coronavirus has brought even more changes with many services being temporarily stopped or running reduced services, we also have different models being used across the Borders. In partnership with Living Streets we would like to hear more about your experience of using public transport before the virus, during lockdown & what you would like to see in the future. Please take time to fill in the survey, it will probably take you around 10 minutes.
Scottish Borders Transport Survey
outsidethebox056299.typeform.com
Turn data collection into an experience with Typeform. Create beautiful online forms, surveys, quizzes, and so much more. Try it for FREE.As part of Loneliness Awareness Week we want to let you know about a free online event hosted by Voluntary Health Scotland in collaboration with members of Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland with the spotlight on creative responses to loneliness and social isolation at this time.
Join them to explore the essential role arts and health organisations and practitioners have been playing during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to play beyond it.
With inputs from arts and health practitioners and plenty of scope for discussion, join them to discuss ideas for creative renewal, practice and recovery, against the backdrop of the increased loneliness and social isolation generated by the lock-down.
#LetsTalkLoneliness #LonelinessAwarenessWeek
Keeping the Conversation Going: Loneliness and Social Isolation
vhscotland.org.uk
A free online event in collaboration with members of Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland with the spotlight on creative responses to loneliness and social isolation at this time. Join us to explore the essential role arts and health organisations and practitioners have been playing during the...We have heard some really lovely examples of how communities have pulled together during this unusual time.
The Scottish National Rural Network latest blog shares an example from the community of Dunkeld and Birnam. Brenda, co-owner of Jessie Mac's explains how the business community responded to the sudden impacts of COVID-19 and how they are starting to prepare for the lifting of restrictions and re-opening of businesses.
They had many offers of help from businesses including preparing food for vulnerable/shielding members of the community, accommodation for emergency workers, supply of PPE, bed loans for the local nursing home and loan of rental bikes and e-bikes.
Read more about it 👇
#CovidCommunityResponse #CovidBusiness #CrowdFundScotland