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Rural Business Diversification - a Guide for Buckinghamshire

This is a pack containing guidance sheets, case studies etc. The first sheet reads as follows:

Purpose of this guide

Agriculture was traditionally the primary activity in the rural environment, both in economic terms and in the management of the landscape. Since the 1980s however, the profitability of agriculture has dramatically declined putting immense pressure on farms and other rural businesses. At the same time, pressures on rural pubs, post offices and shops have lead to a reduction in the community infrastructure. One solution has been diversification into other business activities and to offer something unique in rural areas.

This guide is intended to provide an overview of the diversification process, what it means, what it involves and where to go for help and support. It has been produced in response to farmers and other rural businesses reporting difficulty in finding the information they required in one place. This pack seeks to bring together information and to encourage positive communication between service providers and those wishing to diversify their businesses in rural areas. We hope that the tips and examples provided here will help identify opportunities and routes to support for you to explore.

Organisations involved in the production of this pack include Local Authorities in Buckinghamshire as well as other partner organisations. You will therefore, find some information to be general to the county and some to be specific to your area.

 

The Essential Trustee: What you need to know

Guidance from the Charity Commission for all who serve as Trustees or Directors on the governing body of a charity, or who are about to take up Trustee responsibilities. This publication can also be accessed at the Charity Commission's website: www.charitycommission.gov.uk. 

Working with Volunteers - a Good Practice Guide 

This guide has been produced by a consortium of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes organisations, and deals with all aspects of working with volunteers, from initial advertising through to day-to-day working.  There is an appendix containing sample documents, e.g. application forms, requests for references etc. 

RAISE 'LARGE' toolkits

We now have a copy of the third of the 'LARGE' RAISE toolkits which deals with "Equalities". Equalities are "defined in this toolkit as a short-hand term for all work carried out by an organisation to promote equal opportunities and challenge discrimination". The six sections  build an overall picture of an approach to Equalities that a voluntary/community organisation could use.

Each  toolkit is self-standing; we already have "Representation" and "Governance". The other titles still to come will be "Leadership" and "Accountability".

We have copies of all three toolkits in the library, but you can also download them from the RAISE website www.raise-networks.org.uk

RAISE Social Audit Toolkit

Social audit is a process that enables organisations  to assess and demonstrate their performance in relation to key objectives. It is also a systematic and objective accounting procedure, which enables organisations to measure a range of internal and external factors not covered by financial auditing. This is a portfolio of tools and techniques for measuring, understanding, reporting on and ultimately improving an organisation's performance. 

Health & Safety at Outdoor Community Events  Parts 1 & 2

This guide is designed with the small to medium outdoor community event in mind. Examples include local festivals and concerts, school and church fetes, local shows, exhibitions and other similar occasions. High regard to Health & Safety at community events is vital, but small events often run the risk of slipping through the net as far as detailed help and guidance on these issues is concerned,  The aim of this work is to assist the community event organiser in delivering a safe, well run event in accordance with relevant legal requirements and guidelines.

The opening sections deal with Health and Safety law and other legal requirements, and are followed by sections on risk assessment and planning. The remainder of the guide deals with the development of a Health and Safety plan for your event, finishing with a checklist. Examples of the topics covered are staffing, emergency procedures, public welfare etc. The practical measures described will be subject to the specifics of a particular event.