The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) has announced £170,000 of new support for nine farming groups in England, Scotland, and NI, including £15,000 of funding for Rural Support in NI today (Wednesday, October 23).
This RCF funding will allow Rural Support to provide more support for family farms across NI, to help them tackle economic difficulties and combat the rural mental health crisis.
Executive director of the RCF, Keith Halstead, said: “This funding is about powering-up family farms and giving them the support they need to survive and thrive.
“Our aim is to support rural communities across the UK, helping to sustain a living landscape of working family farms and prosperous rural life.
“Farming can be so different across the UK, so it’s important to us that we support locally-run farm support groups who are embedded in the communities they serve and therefore know what will make the biggest difference in their local area.”
The nine farm support groups across the UK which are receiving RCF funding are: Dartmoor Hill Farm Project; Exmoor Hill Farming Network; Farm Cornwall; Herefordshire Rural Hub; The RSABI; Rural Support; The Farmer Network Ltd; The Farming Life Centre and Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services Ltd.
According to Halstead: “Farmers are currently facing a whole raft of challenges and we know it’s a difficult time for so many families, so it’s vital our funding goes to where it will make the most impact.
“The farm-support groups we’ve chosen to fund are truly innovative and collaborative organisations that are working with their local communities to find new and sustainable ways to build a better future.
“These are all community-led support groups which can help farmers find the right opportunities, look after their health and well-being, and promote sustainable, economic, social and community development.”
NI farming group
Rural Support provides a listening and signposting service for farmers and farming families across NI through its support line.
It can provide face-to face-support, help with sourcing information and advice about a wide range of issues:
- Changing family circumstances such as relationship breakups or bereavement, planning for the future, whether it be making a will or considering retirement, can cause worry and stress;
- Isolation, loneliness and lack of access to services can lead to feelings of stress and depression. Rural Support’s volunteers understand the challenges and issues facing farmers and farm families;
- Rural Support provides a Social Farming Support Service for Northern Ireland, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
