Rural Communities Programme Hailed a Success

A two-year project supporting rural communities in the Northwest of England has created or safeguarded 70 jobs and supported 57 social enterprises. Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West was set up in July 2007 to improve the services available in rural area and increase productivity.Operating across Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria the £826,000 programme targeted those rural areas which most needed help. The result was 57 social enterprises being supported across a wide range of services including childcare, health and social care, retail and recycling where there had