Thoughts of a CEO March 2023

I was just about to head out of the door for a long overdue family holiday (voice mail message recorded, out of office notification set up, plate in the dishwasher, keys in hand) when our Communications Manager, Justine reminded me that I needed to do an introduction to this newsletter. I may have grumbled a bit, but she’s right; this is an important one as it will focus on our latest bit of research work, a Snapshot of Rural Surrey.

One of the many strings to our bow is our involvement in the rural consultancy Cirican, which has been commissioned by Surrey County Council to look at the latest census data and apply that to rural Surrey. We know housing is expensive, but how expensive? We know that people commute long distances, but how far and how long does it take? We know that broadband speeds are lower in rural areas, but how long will it take to stream the latest season of Bridgerton (my guilty pleasure, blame my partner for getting me hooked)? This is all fascinating and useful data, but it is just data, it can’t tell a story.

That’s where you come in! As well as the number crunching above, we are carrying out some community research to find out what living, working or relaxing in rural Surrey is actually like. Not what the numbers tell us, but what it feels like to have to travel for however many miles to see the GP. What it is like to live in a small village with fewer amenities that before. How challenging it is to travel across Surrey with a disability. How being surrounded by countryside fills you with pleasure.

When we put the numbers and the words together, we will be able to paint a compelling picture of life in rural Surrey – the good (stunning views!), the bad (potholes!) and the ugly (potholes again!) – that colleagues can use to guide how we account for rurality when we plan services. We want to make sure that the remoteness of a postcode doesn’t cause anyone to get left behind.

My tone is light (I’m in holiday mood after all) but the work is serious. Please help us develop our picture of rural Surrey by completing our 15-minute survey or forwarding it far and wide. Thank you!