Breadcrumbs
Businesses to think rural - 24 July 2001
Business in the Community - Rural Action is a new initiative launched by BITC's President, HRH The Prince of Wales, today (Tuesday 24 July) at St James's Palace aimed at encouraging business to become engaged in practical ways to assist the economic regeneration of rural Britain. The Countryside Agency is providing £150,000 over three years to support the initiative.
Ewen Cameron, Countryside Agency chairman and the Government's rural advocate, said: "I am delighted that the Countryside Agency is supporting this important new initiative by BITC. Business has a major role to play in the economic and social well-being of rural areas.
"BITC has been very successful in the past in getting many of Britain's larger companies to address the problems affecting urban areas, but they have an equally important role to play in rural areas. So we welcome this programme which will demonstrate to companies that their activities, and how they operate, have a major impact on the countryside and the people that live and work in it. We want to see businesses not only providing expertise and resources to strengthen rural communities but also playing a more direct role in helping to regenerate market towns - in particular by maintaining a professional presence, purchasing local food and other goods, and in looking for new ways to provide services to their rural customers.
"The strong leadership of the Prince of Wales is an encouragement to us all to make a real difference and I very much welcome his support."
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The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues relating to the social, economic and environmental well being of the English countryside.
