Tackling Rural Deprivation
It will probably be of little surprise to you to hear that Somerset is the third most rural county in England. Most of us enjoy living in the beautiful landscape, shopping in local market towns, and enjoying a fantastic quality of life.

However, as many of you will realise, there are significant numbers of deprived people of all ages living in the countryside, frequently hidden in small pockets within more affluent communities.

Statistics reveal that 1 in 3 rural households have someone with a long-term debilitating illness and over 40,000 people provide unpaid care; 24,000 rural households lack access to a car; 26,000 pensioners live alone in rural areas. In short, a picture is emerging of a multitude of needs that require urgent attention.

At the Somerset Community Foundation we believe we can make a very important contribution to tackling rural deprivation in Somerset. Our goal is to create a long-term independent fund to support community projects set up and run by local people. In many cases, they are the only ones who can reach the most isolated and excluded people in our rural areas.

Lord Cameron, the former ‘Rural Advocate’ to the Government summed it up neatly for us: “It would appear that the only hope for those who find themselves at a disadvantage in rural England is to give communities the opportunities to resolve their own problems...It is this that the Somerset Community Foundation is trying to do and why I would like to endorse and commend their work.”

In recognition of the importance of this issue, and the difference Somerset Community Foundation can make, the Goldsmith’s Company Charity have recently pledged to support our efforts to create a lasting legacy for rural communities.

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