Emergency Grants Awarded

The successful applicants are tackling Covid-19 in a number of ways – from grocery, hot meal, and prescription delivery in remote areas, to setting up community shops and food banks, or providing business support tailored for rural and farm businesses.

The Fund received nearly 300 applications for assistance, and thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the Royal Warrant Holders Association Charitable Trust, the Barbour Foundation, and the generosity of its own corporate partners, were able to release £120,963 in funding to 62 projects, benefitting people living and working in rural areas.

The Fund has also awarded the Farming Community Network over £6000 to allow them to increase their helpline provision.

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.

Gaby Giacchino from Curious Pilgrims, who has organised a prescription collection service for residents of Shetland, said: “Curious Pilgrims is delighted to have been awarded an emergency grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund. This will make a substantial contribution to the work we’re carrying out with our community, assisting us in providing an indispensable service.”

Phil Price, Director of SCRVSG in Yorkshire, said “The Snaith, Cowick and Rawcliffe army of volunteers supporting our displaced, vulnerable and self-isolated residents in the wake of recent flooding and the current Covid-19 pandemic are truly thankful for the support of The Prince’s Countryside Fund. Your emergency grant will enable us to provide some of the basic essentials and extended community care that will help restore faith, confidence and normality among the strugglers in our rural communities. Thank you.”

Cheryl Marriott, Chair of the Blackwater Village Trust in Cornwall, said: “As a small community charity we are hugely grateful to The Prince’s Countryside Fund for awarding this grant towards the Blackwater Village Covid-19 Hardship fund. We already have a volunteer network helping with food deliveries and errands and now we can begin to help those having difficulty making ends meet by offering grocery vouchers.”

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.”

The below organisations have been awarded grant funding.

50 Backpacks, Cambridgeshire, £2,500
Black Water Village Trust, Cornwall, £1,500
The Solomon Browne Hall, Cornwall, £2,500
The St Tudy Community Shop Ltd, Cornwall, £2,500
YMCA Teesdale, part of YMCA North Tyneside, County Durham, £2,100
Northern Fells Rural Community Development Group, Cumbria, £2,464
Ambleside Parish Centre, Cumbria, £2,500
Susan’s Farm CIO, Cumbria, £2,400
Rural Action Derbyshire, Derbyshire, £2,000
Bamford Community Society Ltd, Derbyshire, £2,500
Morton Village Hall, Derbyshire, £1,500
TRIP Community Transport Association, Devon, £2,500
Hawkchurch Community Shop Limited, Devon, £2,500
Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub CIC, Devon, £2,475
Harvest Workers Co-op Ltd, Devon, £1,696
Ivybridge and District Community Transport Association, Devon, £910
Community Council of Devon (operating as Devon Communities Together), Devon, £2,500
Countrymen UK, Dorset, £2,000
Friends of Stour Connect, Dorset, £1,500
The Landworkers Alliance, Dorset, £2,426.70
Council for Voluntary Service Uttlesford (CVSU), Essex, £2,500
Niton Community Projects, Isle of Wight, £1,750
Bechange, Kent, £900
Ribchester Playing Fields Trust (Ribchester Careline), Lancashire, £2,500
Brookenby Community Group, Lincolnshire, £400
Lincs Digital, Lincolnshire, £2,400
The Stone House Church Alford (aka The Alford Community Church), Lincolnshire, £2,500
Moneydig rural network, Northern Ireland, £2,500
Aghalee Village Hall, Northern Ireland, £1,000
Ballycastle Community Development Group, Northern Ireland, £2,500
Kells & Connor Community Improvement Association , Northern Ireland, £2,000
Heart of Gissing CIO, Norfolk, £1,000
Access – supporting migrants in East Anglia, Norfolk, £2,500
Charles Burrell Centre (Community Benefit Society), Norfolk, £2,332
Thurlton Community Store CIC, Norfolk, £753
Rural Enterprises CIC, Northamptonshire, £2,000
Bell View (Belford), Northumberland, £1,500
Slaley Community Shop Ltd, Northumberland, £2,500
Upper Coquetdale Community Transport, Northumberland, £1,000
Rannoch Community Trust, Scotland, £2,040
Uig Community Co-operative Ltd trading as Uig Community Shop, Scotland, £2,500
Interloch Transport, Scotland, £2,000
Morebattle Community Shop, Scotland, £1,500
Western Isles Citizens Advice Service, Scotland, £2,500
New Galloway Community Enterprises Ltd, Scotland, 950
Islay & Jura Community Enterprises Limited, Scotland, £2,470
Curious Pilgrims CIC, Scotland, £2,040
Raasay House Community Company, Scotland, £2,420
The Furniture Project (Stranraer) Ltd, Scotland, £2,500
Rural Coffee Caravan, Suffolk, £2,500
Builth Wells Community Support, Wales £2,500
CETMA, Wales £2,300
Llandovery Youth and Community Centre, Wales £1,500
Llanwrtyd Community Transport, Wales, £2,000
Menter y Plu, Wales, £750
St Mary Bourne Village Shop Association CIC, Wiltshire, £2,000
Bretforton Community Shop Limited, Worcestershire, £698
Pershore & District Voluntary Help Centre (k/a Pershore Volunteer Centre), Worcestershire, £2,000
Carperby cum Thoresby Recreation and Playing Fields Association, Yorkshire, £1,200
Charltons Community Centre, Yorkshire, £600
SCRVSG CIC, Yorkshire, £1,500
The Grassington Hub, Yorkshire, £2,500