Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

Ever wished you could find out what people are really thinking? Well, now you can - and you don't have to be a mindreader! A new feature on the Rural Network website means you'll be able to design and launch your own consultation about any subject you want.

Whether you're trying to gauge interest in a local service or demonstrating support for a new funding application, the Rural Network Consultations Page will enable you to find out what people are really thinking, and to make sure your voice is heard.

The Consultations Page will also allow you to respond immediately to consultations on rural issues run by the Scottish Government and others, and will launch early next week with an important rural consultation from the Scottish Government.

Norette Ferns, Scotland National Rural Network website editor said, "Rather than write or email your responses to a consultation, you'll be able to simply add a comment to the website to feed into the discussion. You'll also be able to see what others think about the issues and get involved in debate.

"We hope this more interactive and less formal approach, will encourage more people to take part in discussions on rural issues which impact their lives. This is another way of making your voice heard and we'll be encouraging as many people as possible to take part and make their comments.

"We'll also be encouraging rural organisations and projects to take advantage of this new opportunity to gather views through designing and launching their own consultations online. It's really simple to use, costs nothing and is a great way of getting responses from a wide range of people living and working in Scotland's rural communities.

"So if you want to gather the views of rural Scotland, why not give our new Consultations feature a go? We're here to help you set up your consultation and will promote it on the site, in our newsletter and through our networks helping you to further your reach.

"Our consultations feature will get off to a great start with a major rural consultation from the Scottish Government. Watch this space early next week for the launch!"

Who can use the consultations feature?

Anyone can comment and respond to a consultation running on the Scotland National Rural Network website.

Constituted rural organisations and groups can use the Consultations feature to run your own consultation and gather the views of people living and working in their own area or across all of rural Scotland. We'll help you reach a wide audience by promoting your consultation in our weekly email newsletter and through our Twitter account.

Having an online presence for your consultation is a great way of encouraging a wide range of responses. You can put a link to the consultation on your website and email the link to your networks.

The consultations feature is free to use, so why not give it a try, particularly if you're trying to reach beyond the usual suspects! All the responses to a consultation will be archived and available for you to use for your own purposes.

How do I take part?

We'll be adding step by step guidance on how to add your consultation to the website in the near future. And wecan always be contacted by phone or email if you need help. Just email editor@ruralgateway.org.uk or call 01463 251 733.