Leicestershire’s museums are gateways to a world of fascinating stories and engaging objects and are places to explore, enjoy and take part in a wide range of activities. This summer explore half a million years of history and find out what’s so special about Leicestershire in museums across the county. Leicestershire’s museums care for over a million objects, which enable us to tell the story of the people who have made Leicestershire their home.
Following the inclusion of the first five important Leicestershire artefacts in the British Museum and BBC’s History of the World project, we are launching a new online exhibition bringing together 100 objects from museums across the county.
These are the first 50 objects. The second phase of the project featuring the next 50 objects will be available online at the end of October 2010.

• Is your business ready to improve its online marketing?
• Do you want to know which techniques are right for your business or are you feeling overwhelmed by all the options?

In an ever changing trading environment, the importance of maximising opportunities that the internet offers can make all the difference to your rural business, whether it be reaching out to new customers, improving your efficiency through online trading or raising awareness of your business product or service to a wider audience.

Business Link are hosting an allday FREE event to rural businesses on Wednesday 18th August at Burrough Court, Burrough-on-the-Hill, Melton Mowbray, LE14 2QS

This interactive event, specifically aimed at businesses located in rural communities, will offer top tips to help you review your online marketing strategy.

For further details, and to secure a place, please click here to the Business Link event website.

Alternatively, you can email your details and choices to info@businesslinkem.co.uk or call our client contact centre on 0845 058 6644.

The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has released details of a fund to improve broadband connectivity in rural areas.
£400,000 has been allocated through the Rural Development Programme for England, 2007-13 to bring forward a number pilot projects across the East Midlands. The funding will contribute towards developing innovative approaches that address existing gaps in rural broadband coverage. Approaches can include:

• Community broadband projects
• Projects that seek to upgrade existing infrastructure to exceed the proposed Universal Service Commitment speed of 2Mbit/s
• Projects that enable early deployment of next generation compatible solutions

The LRP is working with partners and communities to bring forward applications for this fund.
Communities are encouraged to work with local businesses to submit project proposals that will help support connectivity improvements in rural Leicestershire.
Emda invite expressions of interest by 13th September 2010.
More information is available at here alternatively please e-mail:matthew.kempson@leics.gov.uk or ring: 0116 305 6179

Inspired by the Mary Portas series 'Mary Queen of Shops', Business Link in partnership with Corin Birchall of Kerching, are hosting a FREE event to help retailers in Melton make the most of their business.
Faced with the challenges of large supermarkets Melton's small independent retailers need to focus on their unique selling points and exceptional customer service rather than try to compete with the larger retailers on price or volume.
With this in mind the event will cover 3 main topics:

• 3 steps to increase your shops turnover
• How to get your staff to make the till ring?
• How to get your shop to sell its products itself?

The event is being held on Thursday 19th August from 4pm till 7pm at the Market Tavern in Melton's Cattle Market off Nottingham Road (LE13 1JY).
To secure your place, please click on the title of this news item, e-mail info@businesslinkem.co.uk or ring 0845 058 6644.

The latest LRP Annual Report is now available and contains a snapshot of our activity over the last twelve months, including the EU delegation visit last autumn and our INSPIRE grant programme.
PLEASE NOTE The leaflet is folded into an A5 document so you will need to rotate the view of the pdf document which you can link to through the title of this message.
If you would like a hard copy of the report please e-mail your postal address to: jonathan.clarkson@leics.gov.uk

Dr. Stuart Burgess, today, has launched Affordable Housing – keeping villages alive report. Over the last year the NHF has been working on raising the profile of affordable rural housing as a means to creating more vibrant and sustainable rural communities.

Villages have a long history of resilience and self help. In tackling today’s challenges, many rural communities have identified affordable housing as part of the solution. Typically, just a handful of well designed homes can help sustain more local services and jobs for local people. The current reality is that there is a massive shortage of rural affordable housing. Rural council waiting lists show a marked increase from 428,045 in 2005 to 474,970 in 2008 – a growth of 11%.

Affordable housing provides decent homes to people who have been priced out of the open market. It is particularly important in rural areas, where house prices are significantly higher than the national average but household incomes are lower. This booklet shows how a relatively small number of new affordable homes in a village can help ensure rural England has a bright future. See page 17 to read more about a Leicestershire affordable housing scheme at Foan Hill in Swannington.

The Leicester Diocese has received a £5,000 INSPIRE grant from the LRP to increase the profile of Leicester and Leicestershire’s churches. Details of ten churches including a selection of images, key features, opening times and locations is now available at www.treasuresunlocked.co.uk

Revd Peter Hooper of Leicester Diocese, said: “Leicestershire is home to hundreds of beautiful and historic churches. However, they are such a familiar part of the landscape that it is all too easy to pass them by. We’ve chosen particular churches because of their proximity to some of Leicestershire’s top tourist attractions such as Bradgate Park, Bosworth Battlefield, Conkers, Snibston, Belvoir Castle, Ashby Castle, Foxton Locks and Wistow Maze.”

(Pictured right is St Peter’s Church in Market Bosworth)

The average age of farmers in Britain is 55 and close to half of them do not have a successor, according to the skills council LANTRA.

Agriculture needs 60,000 more people to come into the industry over the next decade to survive.

However, after food scares, such as BSE, and years of rock bottom wheat prices, where is the incentive to join?

BBC Leicester speaks to farmers from across the county to find out if they think the industry is under threat.

Rural England has a “resilience” to the recession and will help the country’s economic recovery, a report suggests.
The Commission for Rural Communities said countryside businesses will make a substantial contribution to a national return to growth by creating new “green” jobs and through high levels of entrepreneurship.
The report found that during the recession, unemployment figures were lower in the countryside compared to urban areas. Unemployment increased by 2.1% in rural areas compared to 2.3% in more populated places.

Up to £500 is available to community, voluntary or faith groups across Leicestershire through the Communities Together grants which aim to help support projects which:

• play an active role in getting different communities and groups of individuals together to increase understanding and communication.
• promote inter-cultural education and relationship building.
• introduce and engages new audiences, organisations and community groups to each other.

With 14 projects already supported the Communities Together Grants have proved popular since the launch earlier this year. Details of two of them are attached.

Further details including a grant application form and guidance notes can be found at www.leicestershiretogether.org/communities_together_grants

If you have any further questions please contact Samantha Sirisambhand on 0116 305 8098 or email; samantha.sirisambhand@leics.gov.uk