Rural Development and Community Work

Abstract

The latter half of the twentieth century has confronted people in rural areas with an almost unprecedented scale and pace of change. From the accessible commuter villages close to our larger cities to the remotest parts of the United Kingdom, many of the traditional features of rural life are being eroded and frequently replaced by unfamiliar and threatening signs. Farming is a dwindling source of employment and wealth in many areas. Young people are leaving their home areas, pushed out by increasingly unaffordable housing, and attracted away by better job and leisure prospects. The proportion of older people is growing and traditional patterns of family and neighbourly care have largely disappeared. Furthermore, the forces of change are increasingly coming from distant places, beyond the immediate grasp of local people.