Can you help develop responsive rural community connections?
Combatting loneliness with solutions that enable communities to help each other in digitally and transport deprived areas.
Developing responsive rural community connections
Monmouthshire is a rural county in South East Wales with a population of 92,800. Isolation and loneliness significantly impact people’s health and well-being in the county. This is a big challenge in areas with poor digital technology and transport.
Effective transport provision can help, but public service budget cuts result in less subsidised transport services and more reliance on private cars. Rural residents have difficulty accessing car sharing. Older people can find it difficult to drive, and restricted transport provision reduces opportunities for young people.
Digital innovations and technology could connect isolated people, transform public services and support transport opportunities.
As part of a “Developing responsive rural community connections” funding competition
Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)  are looking for proposals that provide support to individuals of all ages and communities. The aim is to reduce loneliness and connect rural communities through low cost, co-designed, user-friendly technology.
This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition with funding provided by the GovTech Catalyst.