Town partnerships might hold the key to making the "Big Society" more than a catchy phrase.

The seminar, organised by the Northern Rural Network, is on Rural Development and Social Renewal and will deal with issues such as the contribution of LEADER  http://www.leader-programme.org.uk/ to social renewal in rural areas and market towns.

Gordon's presentation, entitled Small Towns, Big Societies, will explore how England’s country towns are well placed, both to inform, and contribute to, the government’s ideas around the “Big Society”.  He will summarise and draw on his PhD research findings together with examples drawn from his work with Action for Market Towns and the Small Towns for Tomorrow research group, to suggest how town partnerships might hold the key to making the “Big Society” more than a catchy phrase.

Other speakers will be from the Universities of Newcastle and Helsinki, Hexham Community Partnership and Defra.  The full programme can be viewed here - Northern Rural Network Seminar.

Click to download Gordon's talk entitled Small Towns, Big Societies.