The Forum will act as champions for the mainstreaming of services at a local level to rural communities and provide visible and proactive leadership on rural issues at all levels by capturing and articulating the voice of ‘grass roots’ rural stakeholders.

This will be based on a developed understanding of the needs of the South East through local knowledge and best practice so as to:-

• Develop common consensus on policy issues and advise the Rural Board in its policy making.
  
  
• Review rural proofing of sub-regional/local policy and delivery, based on best practice.