The Royal Countryside Fund

When it comes to biodiversity “a pond is probably the best single thing you can ever do, especially in farmland.” – Professor Carl Sayer, Founder of the Norfolk Ponds Project. Since 1900 the UK has lost an estimated half a million agricultural ponds. This is a disastrous loss for biodiversity, as ponds provide a whole range of habitats for aquatic plants, invertebrates, pollinators and birds. It’s also a great loss for the future of farming, as farmland ponds play a vital role in holding water in the landscape, mitigating against extreme weather, like flooding and droughts. We’re working with Norfolk FWAG to deliver hands-on workshops for farmers that look at how they can boost biodiversity on their farms in ways that complement productive agriculture. The series also focused on natural flood management and nature-based solutions that can help make farms more flood resistant and resilient in the face of drought.   Watch the full film, sign-up for the next workshop, and find out more about how the RCF supports family farms to boost their biodiversity, here: https://lnkd.in/eY8KqbFD   #BritishFarming #FarmingUK #FamilyFarm #Biodiversity #Nature Thank you to the players of the People's Postcode Lottery for their support with this work.

Last week, we were delighted to welcome guests to the magnificent Napoleon Cellar at Berry Bros. & Rudd for the launch of the 2025 RCF Journal. The publication, which we produce each year, shows our support for people across rural Britain who are making a huge difference to their family farms and communities, to ensure a real future for the countryside we all depend on. So it was particularly special to hear directly from three people who have experienced this firsthand. The evening closed with a prize draw, which helped to raise £1,478 for the RCF thanks to prizes generously donated by Berry Bros. & Rudd, Fortnum & Mason, Barbour, Caravan and Motorhome Club, The Ritz London and Clarence Court. Our thanks to our partners at Berry Bros. & Rudd for hosting another fantastic event, to Ford Creative, Julie Pybus and Partridges for their support in producing the Journal, and to everyone who attended. Read more about the night here: https://lnkd.in/eCQ_CeUe

All of us at The Royal Countryside Fund wish our Royal Founding Patron, His Majesty The King, many happy returns on his birthday. As we celebrate 15 years since he created his Countryside Fund to support farming families and rural communities, his vision for a thriving countryside continues to inspire our work in building a real future for rural Britain. 📷 #1 His Majesty speaking at Louth Cattle Market in 2018. 📷 #2 This year at a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the vital work of Farm Support Groups across the UK. #KingCharlesIII #BritishCountryside #FamilyFarms #RuralCommunities

It's encouraging to see people from a diverse mix of industries and backgrounds coming together over the shared belief that Nature needs to be at the heart of progress. Last week provided a thought-provoking session during the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance's second annual Nature-First Economy event at St James’s Palace. The CBA was established by His Majesty The King in 2020 to connect investors, companies and organisations, and encourage collaboration in the transition to a circular bioeconomy. The event highlighted how Nature can support thriving communities and sustainable economies, as well as it's importance in health and food production. We share this in our vision for family farms and rural communities across the UK to be resilient, productive and to work in harmony with Nature, which is essential for the future of our countryside. It was also a great opportunity to see some of our partners, including Lizzy Rudd, Chair of Berry Bros. & Rudd. Thank you to the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance for hosting such an inspiring event. Photos by Ian Jones

We are delighted that our Executive Director Keith Halstead has been awarded an Associateship of The Royal Agricultural Societies (ARAgS), in recognition of his contribution to agriculture. The citation praised his leadership of The Royal Countryside Fund through a critical period of agricultural transition, as the charity expanded to support thousands of smaller, often isolated, family farms. Keith said: “It is a great privilege to lead an organisation like The Royal Countryside Fund, which has done so much good for so many family farms and rural communities across the UK. I am incredibly grateful for the part I have been able to play in the charity’s successes, and I am very honoured to receive this award of Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies which I see as reflecting the work of my team as much as my own endeavours.” The awards scheme is sponsored by the Royal Agricultural Societies of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and is a recognition of significant contribution to the agricultural and land-based industries of the UK. It is awarded to those who can demonstrate the required high level of achievement. #BritishFarming #BritishCountryside

Thank you so much Farmers Guardian!   All of us at The Royal Countryside Fund are both humbled and honoured to receive the prestigious Farming Hero award, which recognises the collective effort – staff, trustees, supporters, partners and funders - in building a real future for rural Britain.   It is particularly special for us to receive this award in our 15th anniversary year, as we have supported more family farms than ever – around 1,200 - and invested nearly £600,000 in rural community projects across the UK.    His Majesty The King established the RCF in 2010 because he wanted to provide practical, grounded support to family farms and rural communities, and the need for that support is ever greater today.      We hope this award will help increase the visibility of the RCF’s work and support, so that we can do so much more.   We are also incredibly proud that this year’s new ‘Women in Agriculture’ award was won by RCF trustee Baroness Kate Rock, in recognition of her advocacy for the tenanted and farming sector in general. This includes her work on The Rock Review, which she chaired and published in 2022. Our biggest congratulations to all nominees and winners of this year’s British Farming Awards. We are so honoured to support such fantastic, hardworking and vital people! #BFA25 #BritishFarmingAwards #BritishAgriculture #FamilyFarms #RuralCommunities

It’s great to see the launch of the National Suicide Prevention Network - a bold, UK-wide initiative led by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. Farmers are at extremely high risk of mental illness and every week, three people in the UK's farming industry die by suicide. We're especially pleased to see the initiative will support vital mental health support to farmers across the country through their partnership with Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies). By bringing together organisations across the four nations, this joined-up approach will help ensure timely, life-changing support reaches people when and where they need it. Watch this film to learn more about the network and the people behind it. #NationalSuicidePreventionNetwork #WorldMentalHealthDay

Collaboration is essential for the future of Britain's rural communities. At the end of last week, we brought together representatives from 12 amazing rural community organisations from across Cumbria and Northumberland. The event, held at the Rheged Centre in Cumbria, was designed to allow these organisations from across the two counties to feedback on their work so far and find new ways to cooperate together. In February we announced that we would be making an investment in these rural communities with over £380,000 in funding, delivered in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund. The discussions we had on the day were a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand about the work these organisations have done, as well as the challenges they’ve faced. We were also very grateful to be joined by Cumbria’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Inglewood and Deputy Lieutenant, Adam Naylor. Thank you to everyone who attended and to our partners at The National Lottery Community Fund for their continued support. #BritishCountryside #RuralLife #RuralCommunity #CommunityProject #Funding #Charity #Northumberland #Cumbria

Did you hear us on Farming Today? Anna Wright, our Environmental Programmes Manager spoke with Anna Hill last week at one of our Working with Water events in a very rainy Norfolk, where we were looking at nature-based solutions to manage water on farm. We're running three more workshops this autumn in partnership with Norfolk FWAG. Any Norfolk farmers who are interested in coming along can find out more on our website: http://bit.ly/42OXt1L Listen to our Farming Today feature here! https://lnkd.in/e8aadxmx

Sometimes the most valuable insights just come from an honest conversation on the sofa! We had a brilliant couple of days at Fields Good in Northern Ireland last week, which brought together farmers and experts to share their experiences of farming with Nature. From the challenges facing agriculture and our environment, to the language we use around regenerative farming. We heard from Claire Whittle on the role of biodiversity in animal health, Nikki Yoxall on the importance of rest and recovery in grazing systems, and of course, the wonderfully open sofa conversation with James Rebanks and Clive Bright. We were also pleased to sponsor the Sunday brunch, which was great to refuel and continue the important discussions that had been started the day before. Huge thanks to all involved in creating such a thoughtful, inspiring event! #BritishFarming #RegenerativeFarming #RegenAg #SoilHealth #Biodiversity #LivestockFarming