What is EMRAF?

The East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum (EMRAF) provides a forum for sharing information on issues and initiatives affecting rural areas. EMRAFs role is to champion rural interests in the region by identifying issues of concern, giving views on new regional proposals and promoting the development of regional initiatives with the aim to improve the quality of life in the region’s rural areas. There is a Rural Affairs Forum for each Government Office region outside London.
Reflecting the fact that no English region is the same, the membership and operation of each regional Forum is different. In the East Midlands, EMRAF has developed into a partnership network of 58 organisations from the statutory, private and voluntary sector. The Forum influences the work of the Government Office for the East Midlands, east midlands development agency and East Midlands Regional Assembly but does not sit under any of these bodies.

Background

The Regional Rural Affairs Forums were established following the 2000 Rural White Paper. In the East Midlands, the forum developed out of the existing East Midlands Rural Action Group.
The Rural Strategy 2004 announced a strengthening of the link between Ministers and rural people in the regions by developing a closer relationship with Regional Rural Affairs Forums and their Chairs. Within Defra’s agenda of devolving decisions and funding in response to the development of regional and local decision-making and delivery arrangements, the Regional Rural Affairs Forums will now provide the prime communication mechanism between organisations and agencies responsible for the development and delivery of rural policy and their stakeholders and customers. As a part of this function EMRAF will receive regular reports from the organisations responsible for delivery of policies and actions under the Regional Framework for Rural Delivery. This will enable EMRAF to contribute to the effectiveness of rural delivery.

Operation of the Forum
To find out more about the operation of EMRAF and its structure, you can download the document here. Alternatively, click on the text below to find out more about a particular function.

The Forum has an independent Chair, Pam Smith. The Secretariat to the Forum is provided by the Government Office for the East Midlands. The full forum meets 3 times a year (January, April and October) to endorse and initiate actions, with the theme of the meetings rotating between the Economic, Social and Environmental domain. EMRAF’s activities are steered by a Management Committee (15 members) and co-ordinated by the independent East Midlands Rural Affairs Co-ordinator. The activities of the Forum are possible because of the contributions of its members, who provide their time, their expertise and /or can offer financial support.
The Rural Affairs Co-ordinator post is funded by a broad partnership and steered by the EMRAF Management Committee to ensure the independence of the post. Current funders are emda, GOEM, RCCs and Natural England.

EMRAFs members

Membership of EMRAF provides an opportunity for organisations with an interest in the rural agenda in the East Midlands to engage with others with similar interests; to share best practice; to influence the formulation of national, regional and local rural policies, and to influence the delivery and impact of those policies.
Click here for an overview of EMRAFs members.

What does EMRAF do?

EMRAFs activities to fulfil its role and achieve its aims and objectives can be brought under the following broad headings

• To identify and communicate important issues and priorities for rural development and service delivery.
• To facilitate joint delivery to achieve results
• To promote the rural agenda at regional and national level
• To encourage joint working to address rural issues
• To promote quality rural services
• To provide a regional hub for rural issues, expertise and knowledge

Click here for an overview of Current EMRAF activities

How to Contact EMRAF

The EMRAF Secretariat is the main port of call for correspondence with EMRAF and the Chair of EMRAF as well as for general information about the operation, governance and membership of EMRAF.

Contact:
EMRAF Secretariat
c/o Government Office for the East Midlands
Stanley Place,
Talbot Street
Nottingham
NG1 5GG

Tel: 0115 9712529
e-mail: rural.goem@go-regions.gsi.gov.uk

For queries about the activities and services of EMRAF, please contact the East Midlands Rural Affairs Co-ordinator

c/o Government Office for the East Midlands
Stanley Place,
Talbot Street
Nottingham
NG1 5GG

Tel: 0115 971 2529 / 01623 727600 e-mail: emraf@ruralaffairs.org.uk