The Prince’s Countryside Fund awards 11 emergency grants to rural communities across the South West 

The Prince’s Countryside Fund has awarded eleven emergency grants to farming and rural community support groups across the South West who are providing assistance to counter the effects of isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Fund supported six organisations across Devon: Community Council of Devon (operating as Devon Communities Together), Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub CIC, Harvest Workers Co-op Ltd, Hawkchurch Community Shop Ltd, Ivybridge and District Community Transport Association and TRIP Community Transport Association. As well as three organisations in Cornwall and two in Dorset. The Cornish beneficiaries are Blackwater Village Trust, The Solomon Browne Hall and The St Tudy Community Shop Ltd. The Dorset beneficiaries are Countrymen UK and Friends of Stour Connect.

The Fund received nearly 300 applications for assistance, and thanks to generosity of its corporate partners, players of People’s Postcode Lottery, 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. 

Countrymen UK said: “With the support of The Prince's Countryside Fund we're able to help older men from Dorset's farming families during the coronavirus crisis. Before the crisis we welcomed men with dementia and other health needs to our working farm, providing them with familiar surroundings and warm friendships. We're no longer able to do that, but with this grant we are able to stay in regular contact with the men, provide support to their wives or carers, and distribute sensory resources full of farm sights and sounds.”

Announcing the grant recipients, Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “These small rural organisations are the lifeblood of many far-flung communities. They have adapted to provide unprecedented support to rural people, quickly, and efficiently, with the help of a dedicated army of local volunteers. We are so grateful to all our sponsors, who by supporting The Prince’s Countryside Fund, have enabled the provision of these Rural Response Emergency Grants during this crisis.” 

More details can be found at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grants