New directory launched to help farming and rural communities

The Prince’s Countryside Fund has launched a national directory of groups who can provide support, advice, and guidance to farming and rural communities. 

The directory lists 69 regional, national, and membership organisations who can provide help for farmers who might be in crisis.

The Fund is also awarding emergency funding to 12 farmer networks across the UK, to support them in helping farmers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of £46,143, made available thanks to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, is being distributed to: Exmoor Hill Farm Network, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, Tir Dewi, Herefordshire Rural Hub, The Gamekeepers Welfare Trust, The Farmer Network Ltd, Yorkshire Rural Support Network, Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy, FarmCornwall, The Farming Life Centre, Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy, Field Nurse.

‘We are proud to be able to support UK farm support groups, both financially through our grant programme, and by highlighting the importance of their work in our National Directory of Farm and Rural Support Groups,’ said fund executive director, Keith Halstead.

‘Over the past year, through the work of our farm support coordinator Diane Spark, we have been supporting these networks to share best practice, communicate more easily with each other, and advocate on their behalf to government and other bodies. Our aim for the future is to make these networks more sustainable and help them to grow, ensuring that all UK farmers can receive local help when desired.

‘Thank you to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for supporting our grant making during the pandemic, and to our corporate partners for their backing of the National Directory of Farm and Rural Support Groups,’ he added.

Photo Credit -Dimitrisvetsikas1969 (Pixabay)