The Prince’s Countryside Fund invests 100K to improve farmers’ skills and help reduce farm fatalities in Northern Ireland

Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales to help secure a brighter future for British farmers and the countryside, The Prince’s Countryside Fund will celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2015. In the five years since its inception, The Fund has invested over £5 million in rural Britain and Northern Ireland.

The countryside is one of our greatest national assets, home to a quarter of the population and producing 60% of the food we eat. But rural communities, so crucial to a thriving countryside, face grave challenges. Rural services continue to decline, an ageing rural population is becoming increasingly isolated and the farming industry is in desperate need of new entrants.

The projects funded by The Prince’s Countryside Fund cover three issues facing the countryside: Finding the Farmers of the Future, Improving Rural Livelihoods and Creating Thriving Rural Communities.

Helen Aldis, Manager of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, explains; “It is incredibly encouraging to see the positive, long-term impact of the funding on the projects and communities we have supported to date. £5 million has been distributed to 120 projects across the UK, directly benefitting 100,000 people.”

“The countryside faces unprecedented challenges across a wide range of complex issues. The projects in Northern Ireland receiving funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund address the needs of farmers to have better skills, both technically and financially. Safety on farms is paramount and it is our hope that this funding will help to reduce accidents on farms and improve profitability to help us nurture the farmers of the future.”

Two projects in Northern Ireland received funding – Southern Regional College for ‘Farmers Protect Your Daughters and Sons’, a pilot project with the aim of raising awareness of farming hazards and the risks involved while working on farms; and Lantra for a project looking at supporting farmers to remain in business, particularly those in need of direction for their business or facing financial hardship.

David Vint, Assistant Director, Community, Schools’ Partnership and External Funding, Southern Regional College said: “With farming under pressure financially and the number of people willing to go into farming beginning to increase we wanted to raise awareness amongst young farmers of the dangers of everyday farming life. Our project is aimed at farming families with the objective of providing practical health and safety training which will hopefully enhance health and safety awareness and reduce injuries and fatalities on local farms.”

Alan Huston from Moy Park, one of the Prince’s Countryside Fund’s supporters added: “Moy Park is proud to support the Prince’s Countryside Fund. We work with over 600 of the very best poultry farmers in Northern Ireland and we welcome this worthwhile investment which will benefit the local farming community by addressing important issues such as skills development and farm safety.”

The public can make a donation online at Virgin Giving, in the Post Office or by Text. Text PCF to 70300 and a £3 donation will be made to The Prince’s Countryside Fund.