Prime Cymru - Business Start Up: Business start-up for Wales. The PRIME initiative resulted from an enquiry by HRH The Prince of Wales into whether or not there was a need for an organization - similar to the Prince’s Trust (Business) which helps young people to form their own businesses - directed towards the over-50s.

Customs And Excise: Customs and Excise information for the general public.

Countryside For Towns: Unlocking the potential of the rural urban fringe. The rural urban fringe is a space that is often neglected, and yet it provides the opportunity to improve the everyday lives and prospects of millions of people.

Community Development Workers - Countryside Agency: In November 2000, the Government’s Rural White Paper (RWP) announced money for the Countryside Agency for three years to fund community development work in rural areas. The Countryside Agency has subsequently established the Community Development Workers programme, delivering the RWP’s aim in helping new communities set up projects to tackle problems of social exclusion. The Community Development Worker programme has funded each Rural Community Council to employ a rural community development worker (CDW).

Local Authority Websites: Welcome to the Local Authority Websites (LAWs) national project website. This site is designed to provide you with information about the LAWs national project, updates on project progress, how you can get involved and details of dissemination events being held.

Connecting Communities - Bringing Broadband To Western Isles: Connected Communities Broadband is an exciting pilot project to bring broadband services to a number of rural communities throughout the Western Isles. The pilot has been funded through the DTI/UKOnline sponsored Broadband Fund with Western Isles Enterprise and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar providing the balance of the project funds. Because of the wide distribution of the population across a number of islands more traditional methods of providing broadband, like cable, are impractical. This is why wireless is being used to provide broadband across the islands. The Western Isles ‘Connected Communities’ project will deliver an innovative high performance broadband wireless network across the five main populated islands, bringing together a diverse range of organisations and individuals and piloting a number of technologies which we believe will be a model for other rural and island areas to replicate.

British Wind Association: The British Wind Energy Association is the trade and professional body for the UK wind industry. Formed over 25 years ago, and with over 300 corporate members, BWEA is the largest renewable energy trade association in the UK. Wind has been the world’s fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change. Our primary purpose is to promote the use of wind power in and around the UK, both onshore and offshore. We act as a central point for information for our membership and as a lobbying group to promote wind energy to government. We research and find solution to current issues and generally act as the forum for the UK wind industry.

West Midlands Rural Community Council Network: Across the West Midlands the RCC’s have a combined turnover of

Highlands And Islands Enterprise: The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is a vast and diverse area with many distinct communities. It has thousands of businesses, each with plans for the future. There are more than 400,000 individuals with skills and potential of their own and more than 8,000 voluntary and community groups. The task of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network is to unlock that potential and help create a strong, diverse and sustainable economy where quality of life is matched by quality of opportunity. HIE’s activities include: provision of business support services, delivery of training and learning programmes, assistance for community and cultural projects and measures for environmental renewal. These activities are primarily delivered by our ten Local Enterprise Companies (LECs) - (see links on this page). We hope you enjoy exploring our family of websites.

Market Towns Toolkit: The Market Towns Toolkit contains practical guidance and information for local people who want to take am active part in revitalising market towns.