The RCF receives new funding from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust

The RCF’s Farm Support Groups Initiative is made up of these trusted partners and the new funding will help the RCF build the capacity of these organisations and support them as they extend their activities into harder-to-reach communities.

Jim McLaren MBE, Chairman of NFU Mutual and the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, said: “We recognise these are challenging times for people living and working in farming and rural communities, and this funding will help to deliver a range of initiatives across the UK, including rural poverty relief, supporting the resilience of small farming businesses, advancing agricultural education, and improving health and wellbeing. We are very proud to be championing the work of these great causes through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.”

Keith Halstead, Executive Director, RCF, said: “This funding will support our network of Farm Support Groups – vital organisations that address issues around health, wellbeing and resilience in their local communities. Each of these groups are deeply embedded in the farming and rural communities that they serve, and provide essential lifelines of support.

“Powering up these groups is a key part of our mission to support rural communities across the UK, helping to sustain a living landscape of working family farms and prosperous rural life. Each community is different, so it’s important that we support locally-run farm support groups, who know what will make the biggest difference in their local area.

“Of course, many of these groups are also facing common challenges. This funding will help us continue our work to bring them together to share ideas, advice and best practices, so they can support each other and make an even bigger difference to the people who rely on them up and down the country.”

Find out more about the RCF’s work with Farm Support Groups here.