What is it?
The RSA’s Sounding Board is a key mechanism through which the organisation is able to identify and represent the views of the owners of village shops.

Why is it important?
Particularly at government level the RSA is now recognised as the voice of the village shopkeeper. With its credibility now well established, the RSA is increasingly asked to comment on a whole range of industry-related issues. This is often as part of the consultation process for a piece of potential forthcoming legislation.By being able to communicate and consult quickly with a cross section of rural retailers, the RSA can respond almost immediately in a way which is genuinely representative of its membership.

How does it work?
The Sounding Board is based on a list of participating village shopkeepers (with e-mail) from all parts of the country - a cross-section of the RSA’s retail membership. If the RSA needs either an opinion or a factual response, it will send a short e-mail to all participants, generally requiring a tick-box/yes-or-no type response.

How can village shop owners have their say?
In order to ensure that the RSA is able to represent as broad a range of views as possible (in terms of business size, type and location), the organisation is actively seeking more willing participants.If you are the owner of a village shop, have access to e-mail, and would like to be involved, please contact us by clicking here

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