LOCAL residents in Surrey are being asked to help make rural services more resilient.

The Surrey Countryside and Rural Enterprise Forum (SCREF) said it wanted to ensure rural issues and needs were reflected in policies, delivery and funding.

The forum has been established to provide more opportunities for collaboration, innovation and value for money in delivering key improvements in the Surrey countryside.

It has launched a survey giving rural residents the opportunity to comment on the important topics for the county.

"It is vital that Surrey's rural issues and needs are reflected in policies, delivery and funding, and that rural areas are not disadvantaged by access to services," it said.

The forum aims to develop a shared vision for Surrey's countryside and rural initiatives. It will agree shared priorities for action, based on evidence of need.

Forum members also hope to influence policy on countryside and rural matters in Surrey, as well as facilitating partnership projects to improve the rural economy and environment.

The key aim of the Forum is to deliver improvements on the ground.

Six task groups have been established to identify and address key issues through specific improvement projects.

New task groups may be formed and other groups disbanded once the task is complete.

The task groups cover the visitor economy, woodlands, food and drink, education, landscape and habitat, and communications.

The survey can be completed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BNKJ5G5 and is open until Monday 4 January 2016.