Western Morning News (Saturday)
Farmers given support to adapt for the future
AJOINT programme of support for farming families has been launched successfully by the Prince’s Countryside Fund and McDonald’s UK and Ireland, with farmers in the South West among the first to benefit.
A total of 37 farmers took part in four ‘Ready for Change’ workshops which marked the start of the Fund’s Farm Resilience Alumni Network (FRAN).
The aim of FRAN is to continue the learning and social benefits of the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme and the Ready for Change series, supported by McDonald’s, will provide vital assistance to farming communities over the next three years. At a time of great uncertainty and transformation in British agriculture, equipping farm businesses with the tools to adapt their activities and make sensible, informed decisions about their businesses is considered more important than ever.
Ready for Change is a two-part workshop, delivered by Kite Consultants and took place virtually with farmers from the South West and Northern Ireland.
Keith Halstead, executive director of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, said: “As agriculture faces the most significant change in living memory, there could not be a more important time for the partnership between McDonald’s and The Prince’s Countryside Fund to provide farming families with the confidence and ongoing support they need to develop plans for the future of their farming business. We are extremely grateful to McDonald’s for supporting the Fund’s resilience work over the next three years.”
Established by the Prince of Wales in 2010, the Prince’s Countryside Fund aims to enhance the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life. Over the past decade, the charity has given away over £10 million to more than 350 projects working across the UK which improve service provision in rural areas, support farming businesses and rural enterprises, and provide training opportunities for young people.
Harriet Wilson, agriculture manager at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, added: “There is no denying the impact and uncertainty that this year has caused, making it more vital than ever that we continue to support the agriculture industry. We hope these workshops, as part of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, enable farming families to make informed decisions to help futureproof their businesses.”
The Prince’s Countryside Fund will be running future Ready for Change workshops across different regions in 2021. Visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience.