Rural and Remote Support Project


In 2009 RAL was successful in achieving additional funding from Survivor Scotland (The Scottish Government).  This was to fund the expansion of RAL services to ensure that support was available in rural and remote areas across the North of Scotland.

With vast experience in working with volunteers who are geographically very distant, and expertise in working with clients in similar geographical situations RAL felt able to design and develop efficient systems to allow access to support to those in the most remote communities in Northern Scotland.

The project saw RAL team up with Information Technology specialists (CompNEO IT Solutions) to explore possibilities, pros and cons, and potential problematic issues of various different mediums of communication.  From the initial stages, the project was being designed with the knowledge that funding was guaranteed for one year only; there was a chance of future funding but no firm commitment.  Thus RAL decided to explore the sustainability of many potential ideas for developing support services in such remote areas.  The main aim was to ensure that support really was available to all those who may wish to access it.  The second priority was to ensure that RAL could sustain these systems should the additional funding cease.


A secure, anonymous and confidential email support system has been developed, and is manned by our highly trained, person-centred support workers.  The system is proving an effective tool for support and as intended it allows access to support to those who may otherwise have none.  It is discreet, allows anonymity and allows the client complete control over the speed and content of their communications.

In addition, RAL linked with the IT team at Shetland College (part of UHI) who offered use of their video conferencing facilities.  Allowing RAL to offer Free Face to Face Counselling and Support via video link.  RAL negotiated access to suitable rooms across a variety of regions where clients can access the video link support.  These rooms are already set up with equipment meaning there are no technical details to worry about; most of our rooms are in distance learning centres or local health centres making it more anonymous for people to access.

The RAL Helplines are of course available in the rural and remote areas, and where possible we are making arrangements with existing local agencies to ensure that local face to face support is available if requested.

Knowledge and skills sharing is an important part of RAL’s ethos and training. 
RAL understands the importance of identifying and communicating with all the existing agencies and services in each of its project regions.  Multi-agency working is most beneficial and RAL wishes to work alongside other services and not compete with them. 
In the future RAL would like to secure more funding to allow the continuation and expansion of these services and to be able to recruit volunteers from the specific areas to expand upon these foundations.

The project is progressing well, although the weather is hampering some of our more rural visits!  We hope to have visited all the rural areas with our presentation by June, when we are holding our 2nd conference. 
The email and video conferencing support is only available to those who live in our rural and remote target areas across Scotland.

Click the picture to see full size map

We have one with all the areas on it. We do hope that in the future this service can be rolled out for all, but currently we are only funded for the remote regions.

For information on how to access support if you live in our rural and remote regions please check at the top page.

If you work in this field in one of our rural and remote regions and would like more information or links with RAL contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it