Key activities:
This theme will be delivered through a small-scale, delegated fund, coordinated and delivered by Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council (HWRCC) on behalf of the Humber Rural Partnership. (Financial management of the fund would however be provided by East Riding of Yorkshire Council as accountable body and the managing agency for the programme as a whole).
The fund will respond to access to services needs, in the first instance, by facilitating and brokering the provision of mobile multi-agency/multi outlet solutions, using existing mobile infrastructure (for example a newly converted information and advice vehicle – low floor single deck bus with private interview/consultation space and full internet access etc). This will allow professionals from a wide range of service delivery agencies (such as Business Link, NHS, Credit Unions, Citizen’s Advice Bureaus, etc) to visit a number of rural locations in one day on an outreach basis, delivering real economies of scale and real improvements in access to service delivery for rural residents without access to adequate transport links to market towns or urban centres.
A mobile facility, which can remain in one location only for the time taken to serve a particular community, provides a cost effective multi agency approach, and the opportunity to reach remoter settlements. It is envisaged that up to 60 outreach visits to rural communities in the Humber can be delivered through this mechanism on an annual basis. A programme of advisory and more general service delivery visits will be developed based on an initial call for interest, utilising existing community engagement and communication channels. New and innovative communication mechanisms will also be considered and developed as appropriate. An appropriate and proportionate geographical/demographic spread of outreach visits will also be factored into programme development.
