The Royal Countryside Fund appoints Chris Sparrow as a new trustee

Chris brings twenty-seven years of experience as a chartered surveyor and business owner. In 2020, he established Recce Rural, a company that provides professional services to the landed-estate sector, and as the Founder and Director of the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG), Chris leads a farmer-owned cooperative that spans 125,000 acres, primarily within the Hampshire Avon catchment. EFG’s mission is to leverage scale and member cooperation to achieve the best environmental and financial returns for various natural capital goods and services.

Before founding Recce Rural, Chris served for six years as the Head of Rural for the Duchy of Lancaster, a 47,000-acre private estate owned by His Majesty The King, as Duke of Lancaster. Chris’s career also includes eleven years as the Resident Agent at the 11,500 acre Boughton Estate, the Northamptonshire home of the Duke of Buccleuch.

Heather Hancock LVO, DL, Chair of The Royal Countryside Fund, commented, “We are so pleased to welcome Chris to our Board. His wealth of experience and dedication to the rural sector will be invaluable as we continue to support family farms and rural communities across the UK.”

Beyond his professional endeavours, Chris has held Non-Executive Director positions in several commercial and charitable organisations, including Camgrain, the farmer-owned grain cooperative. He resides in Cornwall.

The Royal Countryside Fund looks forward to Chris’ contributions towards its vision of a thriving countryside – a living landscape of working family farms and prosperous rural life, based on connections and relationships. Chris’ extensive experience in land management will bolster the RCF’s position as a trusted source of advice and support for farming families seeking a sustainable future, as outlined in the charity’s new 2024-2028 strategy. You can read more about this strategy here.