In 2010 he founded The Prince’s Countryside Fund to ensure a sustainable future for rural Britain and I was invited to its fifth anniversary celebrations at Highgrove, Charles’ country home near Tetbury.
My firm Carter Jonas gives financial aid to this charity which has distributed more than £6 million in grants to 135 projects benefiting 160,000 people living and working in our rural communities.
We are proud to provide this money as part of our support for the farming community and I was impressed by Charles’ profound concern over the current crisis facing our dairy industry.
As well as its normal grant application process, the charity operates an emergency fund for stricken rural communities in times of need, which last year helped farmers hit by the disastrous floods on the Somerset Levels.
During July’s National Countryside Week a further £800,000 of grants was allocated to rural projects across the UK.
Projects funded range from apprenticeships for budding hill farmers, training for young people to gain employment in the rural economy, community transport schemes in isolated rural areas and projects to educate school children about where their food comes from and why the countryside matters.
In addition, The Prince’s Countryside Fund runs a bursary project with Land Rover. All the fund’s projects focus on supporting the people who care for our countryside and make it tick.
Supporters of the fund at Highgrove included TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh, Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison and former England rugby star Phil Vickery.
James Stephen MRICS FAAV
Partner
Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor, Wells
T: 01749 683381
E: james.stephen@carterjonas.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment