State of the Countryside 2007

At a conference today about the Commission for Rural Communities report "That State of the Countryside 2007". It's on their website at www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/projects/stateofthecountryside2007/overview

In among all the facts and figures, Stuart Burgess, the Rural Advocate said words to the effect that if the churches could stop concentrating on their own "internal" concerns and work together to address the real concerns of rural living, that there is a real opportunity for them. Issues of disadvantage, housing, sustainability are all issues that ought to concern the churches and if together we address them then there is a real potential for a significant impact.