The countryside isn’t just a postcard of rolling hills and quaint villages. It’s a vibrant community with real people and real issues. Rural areas face unique challenges that often go unnoticed. This is where rural advocates step in, working tirelessly to ensure that the needs and rights of rural communities are heard.
Their efforts play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development and maintaining the countryside’s charm and viability.
The Lie of the Land is a fascinating book by one of England’s best writers, who focuses mostly on why most of our land is in the hands of just a few people. Just 1% of the population owns half of England, and often present themselves as the rightful custodians of the countryside.
And even have been paid billions of pounds of public money to be good stewards. But what happens when they just don’t care?
Not all landowners are destroying the environment. In the same way that not all men are sexist, and not all white people are racist. The problem is that some are, and they are propped up by a system of entrenched power. We have to make the self-appointed guardians of the countryside answerable to the rest of us.
This book gives a history of grey squirrels being introduced as an ‘invasive species’ that is harming habitats of red squirrels. But we can help both red and grey squirrels (red squirrels are mostly endangered due to pine trees being felled for money).
Other solutions are moving red squirrels to islands and the obvious: rewilding pine martens, that are natural predators or grey squirrels, keeping nature in balance.
In this book, we learn how a small number of landowners have laid waste to some of our most treasured landscapes, to leave forests bare, rivers polluted, moorlands burned (often to burn peat in order to earn money from grouse shoots – this in turn causes flooding) and fenlands drained.
The author journeys across Britain to expose the damage done to our land, and then meets communities that are fighting back: river guardians and small farmers, along with trespassing activists, who are helping to restore our lost wildlife. This is a bold vision for our nation’s wild places.
A smart, peaceful and practical plan for how we can turn this land, into our land. Patrick Barkham
Guy Shrubsole is an environmental campaigner and writer, whose previous book won the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation. He has campaigned for 10 years on the climate and nature crises, and worked for Friends of the Earth and the Right to Roam campaigns. He lives in Devon.
Defining Rural Advocacy
Rural advocacy is all about standing up for the countryside and its people. It’s a movement dedicated to ensuring rural voices are heard and their challenges addressed. At its core, rural advocacy is about fairness, sustainability, and resilience.
It prioritises equitable access to resources, including infrastructure, healthcare, and education, while promoting sustainable practices that protect the rural environment.
Many organisations work day and night to promote rural issues. These groups aim to influence policy, raise awareness, and empower rural communities. Some focus on agricultural policies, while others might be concerned with land rights or broadband access.
They operate by lobbying government officials, conducting community programmes, and partnering with other organisations to amplify their message. Their mission is simple: ensure the rural voice is not just heard but listened to.
Rural advocates tackle a range of pressing issues. Agriculture sits at the heart of rural life, and advocates fight for fair policies that support small farmers. Land use sees them striving for rules that prevent the abuse of rural landscapes.
There’s also a push for improved rural healthcare services, which often lag behind urban areas. Education is another key area, with advocates championing equal opportunities for rural students, whether it’s through better school funding or access to digital learning tools.
Prominent Figures in Rural Advocacy
Local leaders often form the backbone of rural advocacy. They understand the community’s needs better than anyone and are pivotal in organising grassroots efforts. These leaders are the first to rally their neighbours into action, be it protesting a harmful development or setting up a community garden. They are the true unsung heroes, driving local change from within.
National organisations have a wider reach, influencing policies on a broader scale. The problem is that many organisations shape national debates on rural issues, but with bias. For instance, solutions are there already to prevent cattle TB, but farming unions continue to call of cruel and ineffective badger culls. Other groups pressure government to repeal hunting bans.
The good news is that there are ‘countryside charities’ that focus on helping animals, rather than killing them: Wildlife and Countryside Link brings together over 80 nationwide charities, who see ‘protecting the countryside’ as also protecting the creatures that live within it.
