The Royal Countryside Fund launches free support programme for farmers in Northern Ireland

Inspired by its founder, HM The King, The Royal Countryside Fund acts as a catalyst, enabling change and developing resilience through a unique network of grants, community-led projects and practical guidance, working with local partners who deliver the bespoke programmes of support.

The Farm Resilience Programme (FRP) is the RCF’s flagship programme of support for farmers. It offers free business skills and environment training to family farm businesses across the UK, and over the past six years, has benefitted nearly 1,400 families across the UK. The programme is supported by Aldi, Morrisons, and NFU Mutual, who help fund the programme and aid the promotion of it at their events.

Groups of up to 20 farming families are invited to take part in a series of workshops designed to help their business become more profitable and sustainable, including:

- Understanding your farm accounts

- Know your figures: a future without subsidies

- Reducing waste, reducing costs

- Your farm and the environment

- Planning for your future

- Business planning and budgeting

This year, with support from the NFU Mutual, an additional workshop focusing on the importance and impact of mental health in agriculture will form part of the core programme. The RCF is delighted to be working with the Farm Safety Foundation and NFU Mutual to develop and deliver this workshop.

All family members are welcome to attend the sessions, and a meal is provided at each meeting. Each session is delivered by an expert agricultural consultant and the free programme is worth over £2,000 per farm.

An independent evaluation found that the programme delivers significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for farmers. For every £1 invested by the programme, there is around a £3 return for farmers – not including ongoing benefits to farmers which continue after they’ve completed the programme.

John, a Dairy Farmer from Northern Ireland says: “The programme really helped me take a step back and assess my situation – it helps you look at yourself as an individual and detached from the business, which allows you to look at the way you do things a bit more critically. I also found the mental health aspect important as it’s not talked about enough in the farming community.”

The programme is open to dairy and livestock family farm businesses and takes a whole-farm and whole-family approach.

To find out more and sign up, farmers can visit www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience, contact Rural Support on 0800 138 168 or email Victoria Ross [email protected].