RSA UPDATE - April 2008

www.rural-shops-alliance.co.uk

New RSA Logo If you didn’t notice on the first edition of the new “Rural Retailer”, you will certainly see from this edition of “RSA Update” that the RSA has a new logo, reflecting the organisation’s fresh new image. See if you can work out what the wavy lines are intended to symbolise!

Reaction to “Rural Retailer” The RSA is delighted to receive so much positive feedback from you and other organisations & individuals with regard to the new “Rural Retailer” magazine. The main comment has been how useful and interesting this first edition has been for the target audience – in other words, the retailers themselves. Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the new publication is the quantity of letters, phone calls and e-mails we have received from those wishing to comment on specific issues covered. Not only does it suggest that it is actually being read, but also the degree to which so many of our readers really do care about the industry they represent. If you have any of your own ideas about articles that may be interesting, please do let us know.

Post Office Grant Scheme Yes – there is one! It is called the “Investment Grant Scheme”, and it is aimed at helping to fund post offices where, due to a closure of a nearby branch (or branches), there may be resulting capacity and/or accessibility issues. As with most grant schemes, there is naturally a certain amount of eligibility criteria, both in terms of who can apply and what the money can be used for. Most importantly, a post office must first have been identified as either a potential ‘receiving’ or ‘core’ branch. The sorts of eligible works available for funding include additional fortress/combi/screenless positions, hearing loops, DDA compliance works, flip-top tills, roller cash dispensers, etc. The grant will NOT help fund cosmetic improvements or additional staff costs. For more information, contact the Post Office on 0113 259 4933 (Grant & Contractual Change Team).

RSA Sounding Board Many of you will be aware that we operate a scheme called the “Sounding Board”. For those that are unfamiliar with this concept, it is effectively a list of a number of rural retailers’ email addresses, which allows the RSA to gauge opinion and seek specific facts at short notice. Each retailer has been individually approached to be asked to be involved in the scheme and, of course, many of you have assisted with this. However, national representation is still somewhat patchy, and the current list is inevitably becoming a little out-of-date. As such, we are keen to improve the Sounding Board, both in terms of quantity and quality. Any help you can offer would be much appreciated. The more retailers on the Sounding Board in any given county of means the better represented that county is!

RSA Steering Group The RSA holds its Steering Group Meetings in London every quarter. Those of you who have attended in the past will know that it predominantly involves retailers, some of the RSA team, a Partner (sponsor), and a couple of Associate Member representatives. We appreciate that for some of you a day out of your diary is difficult to justify or even achieve. However, particularly if you have not attended before, I would urge you to consider participating. Clearly, there are limited spaces, but we intend from now on to try to give more of you an opportunity to get involved by using more of a rotation system. If you would like to come either to the next meeting (on Thursday 22^nd May) or, in principle, a future meeting please let your RSA County Coordinator know or contact Anne at Head Office on 01305 259911.

National Independents’ Week June 2^nd sees the start of ‘National Independents’ Week’ which the RSA is proud to be supporting. There are lots of ways that shops, individuals and organisations can get involved, and the best way to get all the details is by visiting www.myshopisyourshop.co.uk. Initiatives this year include ‘National Cuppa Day’, ‘Walk & Shop day’ and street parties, as well as lots of events to increase awareness of healthy eating, local produce, litter management, and how shops can engage more closely with their local communities. If you know of an interesting event in your own county, please do let us know.