The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has announced its first round of donations for 2023, totalling more than GBP 450,000 and giving support to 15 rural causes across the UK.
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is an independent charity set up by ICMIF member NFU Mutual in 1998 to support other charities and organisations working in the interests of agriculture, rural communities and the countryside, and it’s one of the main ways that NFU Mutual supports good causes which operate nationally. Since it was first set up, the Trust has distributed donations totalling more than GBP 8M and made a positive difference to education, research, social welfare and poverty relief. Of that funding, GBP 3M was pledged to support charities and communities during 2020, 2021 and 2022 following enhanced donations from NFU Mutual.
Supporting vital services in 2023
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has announced its first round of donations for 2023 – totalling more than GBP 450,000 and giving support to 15 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 have reached at least GBP 1m by the end of 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 can be found here and they include Access to Farms, Air Ambulances UK, Farms for City Children, Samaritans, The Royal Countryside Fund and many more.
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 GBP 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.”
Examples of the Trust’s work
Support for the UK Sepsis Trust
In 2023, NFU Mutual launched an awareness campaign in partnership with The UK Sepsis Trust, following a GBP 70,000 donation made by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust in 2022. The campaign supports the charity’s vital work and is sharing key information about sepsis symptoms with the farming community. Find out more about the Trust’s support for the UK Sepsis Trust.
Support for Samaritans
Samaritans received donations from the Charitable Trust in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, totalling GBP 250,000. This has supported Samaritans’ response to the impact of the pandemic, including reaching those most at risk and those in rural communities. Find out more about the Trust’s support for Samaritans
