Published 22nd Jan 2023, 16:45 BST

The funding will help to deliver a range of projects and schemes for 25 good causes, including rural poverty relief, helping small farming businesses to thrive, educating and mentoring young people, and supporting the UK’s air ambulance network.

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is one of the main ways leading rural insurer NFU Mutual provides charitable donations, and its work forms part of NFU Mutual’s £3.25m charitable giving pledge to support its members and their communities during 2022.

The organisations benefitting from the Trust’s donations during 2022 are:

The village of Buckden nestling at the foot of Buckden Pike in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Organisations which benefit farming and rural life have been granted financial help from NFU Mutual with applications now open for 2023 funding.
Picture Tony Johnson — The village of Buckden nestling at the foot of Buckden Pike in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Organisations which benefit farming and rural life have been granted financial help from NFU Mutual with applications now open for 2023 funding. Picture Tony Johnson

Air Ambulances UK (£20,000); Disasters Emergency Committee (£150,000); FareShare (£100,000); Farming and Forestry Aid (£6,000); Farming Community Network (£70,000); Farms for City Children (£10,974); Farmstrong Scotland (£50,000); Gareth Raw Rees Memorial Scholarship (£2,000); LEAF (£40,000); Mental Health Innovations (£25,000); National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) (£30,000); NFU Education (£30,000); Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust (£13,000); Open Farm Weekend, Northern Ireland (£10,000); Oxford Farming Conference (£15,000); Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) (£70,000); Royal Highland Education Trust (£25,000); RSABI (£70,000); Rural Support (£65,000); Samaritans (£25,000); Scottish Association of Young Farmers' Clubs (£13,875); The Prince’s Countryside Fund (£70,000); The UK Sepsis Trust (£70,000); Wales Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (£11,000); Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (£30,000).

Nick Turner, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said: "Supporting our communities has always been at the heart of our approach at NFU Mutual. We understand these are challenging times, and we have been determined to support charities and organisations working incredibly hard to deliver essential services.

"We’re very proud to be championing the work of these great causes through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust."

FareShare, the UK’s biggest food redistribution charity will be using their donation of £100,000 from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to support their work to fight food poverty and food waste.

The charity collects surplus food from farmers and growers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to get food onto the plates of people who need it most, via charities across the UK.

Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, explained how the Trust’s donation will make a difference: "FareShare is extremely grateful for the support of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. The donation of £100,00 will help us to source the equivalent of 400,000 meals through the cost of living crisis.

"With thousands of families currently facing an uncertain winter this support comes at such a crucial time. It will help stop families across the UK from having to choose between heating and eating and ensure that thousands of vulnerable people will not go to bed on an empty stomach."

Applications for the Trust’s next round of donations, to be awarded in June 2023, are now open.

Full list of farming organisations that benefitted from NFU Mutual million last year