About Us
The WMRAF is a Forum of representatives from many different rural themes. They cover the following areas:
1. Countryside, Environment and Recreation
2. Rural Economy and Employment
3. Rural Communities and Services including the Voluntary Sector
4. Central Government Bodies
5. Regional Bodies
6. Sub-regional Partnerships
The Forum is based around the following structure:
| Structure | Who | Description |
| Full Forum | Relevant stakeholder representatives | - Decision making body on major policy decisions and policy positions,
- Members to ensure two way communication established with their constituents
- Focussed membership to reflect regional governance and other partners, communities of interest
- Members will provide expertise for task and finish groups and regular information (views, data, anecdotal evidence) to support the chair in providing information to Ministers
- The Forum meets at least four times a year
- Members access wider email / newsletter circulations, the website, and targeted correspondence
|
Chair’s Advisory Group (CAG) | Chair Vice-Chairs Representatives from the 6 sectors | - Specific and limited membership (no more than 10 members)
- Provides strategic leadership
- Makes operational decisions and drafts proposals for the full forum to consider / agree, actively managing forum agendas, action plan and communication plan
- Supports the Chair, providing advise and support, specifically in relation to Ministerial meetings
- Meets every other month or as necessary
|
| Task and Finish groups | volunteers from membership & external experts | - Specific groups created to meet an agreed, time limited purpose
- Self-selection membership from full forum and from external experts with support and guidance from the Chair’s Advisory Group
- Present recommendations to the forum meetings
|
| Wider network | | - Wide networking
- feedback on general issues
- Information sharing
- Can elect to be members of a task and finish groups
- Meet once a year at the annual conference
- Be included in wider email / newsletter circulation, have access to the website
|
You can be involved at every level, by contacting the Chair, Vice-Chair or relevant member (see membership list), or by being part of the wider Network.