Rural Community Network

The Rural Action Awards for 2026/2027 are open for applications!

The Awards offer rural community-based organisations in Northern Ireland or the border counties of Sligo, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and Louth, the opportunity to apply for and secure £1000 or €1000 towards their volunteer led community action project.

From improving shared spaces and supporting wellbeing initiatives to creating opportunities for inclusion and connection, these awards recognise the passion, creativity and dedication of volunteers who are helping their communities thrive.

The current call for applications will close on Saturday 20th June 2026.

Visit https://ruralaction.co/what-we-do/rural-action-awards-scheme/ for details on how to apply.

I don’t normally post personal stuff on our work page.
But I wanted to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support that we as a family have received over the past eight weeks.
Molly, my eldest daughter, and my husband, Andrew, took part in BBC Race Across the World in September and October last year. It was an opportunity of a lifetime to travel and experience the world.
The last episode will be broadcast tomorrow night at 8pm on BBC1.

I want to acknowledge and pay tribute to the RCN board members and fantastic staff who supported me to carry out my work commitments and balance extra ‘mammy’ duties while the two explorers were away.

Tune in tomorrow night to watch the last leg of their epic adventure!

Thank you to the RCN family and our friends for all your support over the past few months!!
Legends!!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Rural Community Network Open Day on Thursday 30 April 2026. It was a fantastic opportunity to share more about our work, connect with people from across rural communities, and explore new ways to get involved.

We really appreciated the time, energy, and ideas everyone brought along — it made the day both inspiring and worthwhile. We look forward to building on these conversations and continuing to work together to support thriving rural communities.

DAERA Public Consultation on Rural NI: Our New Approach 2026-2041

Rural Community Network was pleased to be part of the co-design process for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs new 15-year Rural Policy, Rural NI: Our New Approach 2026–2041.

This policy has been shaped through engagement with rural organisations, communities and stakeholders, ensuring that rural voices and lived experience are at the heart of future decision-making.

Our CEO, Kate Clifford, welcomed the opportunity to contribute to this important work.

So what does this mean for rural communities?
This new long-term approach aims to:
• Put rural voices at the centre of government decision-making
• Strengthen local partnerships to deliver real change on the ground
• Improve understanding of rural needs across all departments
• Support more resilient, connected and sustainable rural communities
• Ensure policies are shaped in line with the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

At its core, this policy is about recognising the value of rural communities and ensuring they have the support, investment, and influence needed to thrive over the next 15 years.

RCN will continue to work with our members and partners to ensure this policy delivers meaningful outcomes for rural people and places.

We encourage everyone to engage with the consultation and have your say 👇
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/public-consultation-rural-ni-our-new-approach-2026-2041