Free Business and Environment Skills Training available for family farms in Ballymena

Family farm businesses from the Ballymena area are invited to sign up for The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme from now until 20th September 2021.
The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme 2021/22 is now open for enrolment, launched by Rural Supports’ Gillian Reid (Head of Farm support) and Victoria Ross (Farm Support Co-ordinator).The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme 2021/22 is now open for enrolment, launched by Rural Supports’ Gillian Reid (Head of Farm support) and Victoria Ross (Farm Support Co-ordinator).
The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme 2021/22 is now open for enrolment, launched by Rural Supports’ Gillian Reid (Head of Farm support) and Victoria Ross (Farm Support Co-ordinator).

Co-ordinated by Gillian Reid and Victoria Ross from Rural Support, the multi-million-pound programme allows up to 20 farming families to take part.

This year, Rural Support are inviting young farmers near Ballymena to join the programme, to help address concerns raised in their recent farm business survey which indicated that young people are concerned about their future on the farm; both financially and technically, particularly with so much uncertainty over things outside of their control such as Brexit and volatility in markets.

Participants receive free business skills and environmental management training worth £2,300 per farm, delivered by expert consultants including Kite, the Andersons Centre, and Savills.

Derek, a farmer who took part in 2019-20, said: “The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme allows farmers to be open and honest with others. It’s a great way for people to come together, to put your head above the parapet and own how well your business is doing, to talk things through with others in a similar situation and with the expertise of the consultants.”

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “British agriculture is undergoing its most significant change in a generation, so it is vital that farming families future-proof their business, now. The free business skills and environmental management training provided by The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme is proven to increase confidence and help farm businesses ready themselves for change. I’d like to thank all of our programme sponsors for their support of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, particularly Aldi, Morrisons, and the National Trust.”

For further information and to sign up, please visit: www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience or call Gillian or Victoria at Rural Support on 028 867 60040 or email [email protected].

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