UK rural causes receive Charitable Trust funding

The NFU Mutual Media Centre is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by customers to make financial decisions. If you are a customer looking for further information, please visit our Contact Us page.  

• NFU Mutual Charitable Trust distributes first round of 2023 donations to UK rural causes, amounting to more than £450,000
• Donations from the Trust are expected to reach at least £1 million by the end of the year
• Applications for the November round of funding now open
• The Royal Countryside Fund is featured as a recipient charity

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has announced its first round of donations for 2023, totalling more than £450,000, and giving support to15 rural causes across the UK.

This is the first of two rounds of funding which will be delivered across the year. The Trust expects overall donations to reach at least £1m by the end of 2023.

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is one of the main ways the UK’s leading rural insurer NFU Mutual provides charitable donations. Its work forms part of NFU Mutual’s £3.25m charitable giving pledge to support its members and their communities during 2023.

This latest round of funding will help to deliver a range of initiatives, including rural poverty relief, helping small farming businesses to thrive, educating and mentoring young people, and supporting the UK’s air ambulance network.

The organisations set to benefit from the donations are:

• Access to Farms
• Addington Fund
• Air Ambulances UK
• Farms for City Children
• Gareth Raw Rees Memorial Trust
• Oxford Farming Conference
• NFU Education
• Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust
• The Royal Countryside Fund
• Royal Highland Education Trust
• RSABI
• Samaritans
• The Farming Community Network
• Tir Dewi
• Wales Federation of Young Farmers' Club

The donations will be available immediately, allowing the organisations to continue to provide their crucial support services. Applications for the Trust’s November round of donations are now open, and full details can be found on NFU Mutual’s website.

Nick Turner, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said: "Supporting local communities has always been very important to our members, and so NFU Mutual is committed to making a positive impact through our charitable giving programme.

"These latest donations from the Trust will help support members and their communities in many different ways. We are very proud to be championing the work of these great causes."

The Royal Countryside Fund, a charity which empowers family farms and rural communities to survive and thrive, will be using their donation of £60,000 to help Farm Support Groups and ensure they can continue providing a vital service to their local farming communities.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director at The Royal Countryside Fund, explained how the Trust’s donation will be making a difference: "The Royal Countryside Fund is incredibly grateful for the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust’s continued support of our Farm Support Group Initiative.

"This funding has allowed us to increase capacity across the network, supporting hundreds more farming families each year on a wide range of issues from business advice through to pastoral support, helping to ensure a thriving and diverse agricultural community in the UK.

"As farming families continue to face uncertainty, we are proud to offer them practical assistance when they need it most."

-ends- 

For more information please contact:

Hannah Binns, Rural Affairs Specialist

07779992619

Hannah_Binns@nfumutual.co.uk

Breakdown of NFU Mutual Charitable Trust donations made for the first round of funding during 2023:

Photograph: Please find attached a photo of members of The Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm Support Group Initiative at their 2023 conference.

About NFU Mutual:  

NFU Mutual offers a wide range of products, including general insurance, life, pensions, and investments. These products and services are delivered through our network of NFU Mutual Agent offices, as well as through our direct sales and service centres. With 295 local businesses located in rural towns and villages throughout the UK, NFU Mutual has become part of the fabric of rural life and remains committed to serving the needs of our members nationwide. 

NFU Mutual is proud to deliver more than simply insurance. Making farming safer, supporting rural initiatives across the UK and helping to look after the environment are just some of the ways we do that. To find out more about everything we do to support our communities, visit https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/about-us/responsible-business.