Written by Iain Hoey
Rural insurer NFU Mutual has has announced a £750,000 funding pledge to the Charitable Trust in response to the ongoing challenges faced by communities across the UK, supporting eight UK charities.
The eight charities set to benefit from the additional funding are: Addington Fund, FareShare, Farming Community Network, Prince’s Countryside Fund, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), RSABI, and Rural Support.
The donations will be available immediately, allowing the charities to continue providing their critical services as they are unable to host their usual fundraising events due to Government restrictions
The funding will support the roll out of important initiatives, such as efforts to tackle mental health concerns and food insecurity.
FareShare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste, will receive a donation of £150,000. This will help to divert food which would otherwise have gone to waste onto people at risk of hunger, redistributing the equivalent of 600,000 meals.
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare chief executive, expressed its gratitude to the Trust for its support, saying it came at a crucial time. She said: “It is essential that FareShare is able to continue to distribute the higher volumes of food we are supplying to those most in need across the UK.
“The donation will help expand projects like our new warehouses in Aberdeen and Cornwall, getting food to harder to reach rural and isolated parts of the UK.”
Samaritans are set to receive a donation of £100,000 to support the charity’s response to the pandemic and its work in rural communities
Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, said NFU Mutual’s donation will help Samaritans continue to be there for anyone who is struggling to cope, including those in rural communities. “Together we can make a difference for those in need of support,” she added.
The £750,000 of additional funding for the Charitable Trust is part of NFU Mutual’s £2.75m donation pledge to support communities in 2021, made in response to the ongoing challenges caused by the pandemic. The remaining £2m will be donated to local frontline charities through the insurer’s Agency Giving Fund.
Lindsay Sinclair, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, commented: “The impact of the funding will reach the isolated and vulnerable, those experiencing mental health issues and families facing financial challenges across the UK – all areas of particular concern as the pandemic continues to affect our communities.
“We recognise that these continue to be difficult times and understand the importance of extending our heightened support during the ongoing crisis.”
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