Prince’s Countryside Fund awards

The Prince’s Countryside Fund has awarded four emergency grants to farming and rural community support groups across Northern Ireland who are providing assistance to counter the effects of isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic.
By Community Reporter
Published 11th Jun 2020, 10:00 BST
Updated 16th Jun 2020, 08:09 BST
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The beneficiaries include Aghalee Village Hall, Ballycastle Community Development Group, Kells and Connor Community Improvement Association and Moneydig Rural Network.

The Fund received nearly 300 applications for assistance, and thanks to the generosity of its partners, the Royal Warrant Holders Association Charitable Trust, and the Barbour Foundation, were able to release £120,963 in funding to 62 projects, benefitting people living and working in rural areas.

Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010, the Fund’s mission is to help ensure a vibrant rural economy with a thriving and resilient farming sector at its heart, and its grant programme is a major focus of activity to achieve this. The Prince’s Countryside Fund awards grants to local organisations, and since 2010 has distributed over £10 million in funding.

Moneydig Rural Network said: “We are working daily to provide people with food and hygiene packs and the grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund has been brilliant as it means we can deliver exactly what our vulnerable community members need. We have never experienced food poverty like this before and we are such as small rural group making a massive difference in this huge crisis. Thank you.”

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “These small rural organisations are the lifeblood of many far-flung communities.” More details at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grants.

Related topics:HRH The Prince of WalesNorthern IrelandCoronavirusPrince