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Rural transport in peripheral rural areas The role of social enterprises in meeting the needs of rural citizens

Rural transport in peripheral rural areas The role of social enterprises in meeting the needs of... Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of a rural‐based, social enterprise organising rural transportation to improve access to remote areas. It highlights the very important impacts of such a service for local residents and describes some of the challenges threatening the long‐term sustainability of this local initiative. Design/methodology/approach – The study includes both quantitative surveys of the service users and in‐depth qualitative interviews with selected passengers and key stakeholders. Findings – Typical services users are shown to be long‐term residents, female, elderly and living alone in isolated rural areas. The benefits of the service to these users include increased independence, reduced isolation and access to health and related care services. Practical implications – The paper concludes that such services are very vulnerable to fluctuating priorities at the political level and recommends that further research and social return on investment may help to address this. Originality/value – The paper provides an insight into the important social contribution of social enterprises in peripheral rural locations and highlights the vulnerability of these initiatives in difficult economic times. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Social Enterprise Journal Emerald Publishing

Rural transport in peripheral rural areas The role of social enterprises in meeting the needs of rural citizens

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References (8)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1750-8614
DOI
10.1108/17508611111156637
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of a rural‐based, social enterprise organising rural transportation to improve access to remote areas. It highlights the very important impacts of such a service for local residents and describes some of the challenges threatening the long‐term sustainability of this local initiative. Design/methodology/approach – The study includes both quantitative surveys of the service users and in‐depth qualitative interviews with selected passengers and key stakeholders. Findings – Typical services users are shown to be long‐term residents, female, elderly and living alone in isolated rural areas. The benefits of the service to these users include increased independence, reduced isolation and access to health and related care services. Practical implications – The paper concludes that such services are very vulnerable to fluctuating priorities at the political level and recommends that further research and social return on investment may help to address this. Originality/value – The paper provides an insight into the important social contribution of social enterprises in peripheral rural locations and highlights the vulnerability of these initiatives in difficult economic times.

Journal

Social Enterprise Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Aug 16, 2011

Keywords: Ireland; Social enterprise; Rural areas; Public transport; Policy; Community

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