The Royal Countryside Fund is offering free support for family farms in Northern Ireland
The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) is delighted to be running its 2024 Farm Resilience Programme in Northern Ireland with Rural Support.
The RCF’s Farm Resilience Programme (FRP) is the charity’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 seven years, has benefitted nearly 1,500 families across the UK. The programme is supported by 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:
- Knowing your figures
- Understanding your farm business accounts and budgeting
- Your farm and the environment
- Planning for your future
- Get a head in farming
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.
Keith Halstead, executive director of The Royal Countryside Fund said: “The Royal Countryside Fund wants to make a positive difference to rural life by helping those who live and work in the countryside, particularly the smaller family farms. Our transformational business training, our practical workshops on the environment and our bespoke support for farmers are needed now more than ever. I wholeheartedly encourage farmers to consider signing up to our programme.”
“I would like to thank our partners who host our Farm Resilience Programme, and we are indebted to our corporate partners at Morrisons and NFU Mutual, without whom we would not be able to provide our Farm Resilience Programme free of charge to farmers.”
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 programme is open to dairy and livestock family farm or croft 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.