The Royal Countryside Fund

The Royal Countryside Fund becomes the first of the charities founded by HM The King, when The Prince of Wales, to be renamed and echoes the promise the King made in his accession speech, to ensure that the “important work” carried out by the charities he had long championed “will go on in the trusted hands of others”.

Heather Hancock LVO DL, Chair of Trustees at The Royal Countryside Fund, said: “This is a truly significant moment for our charity, setting us up for a long and successful future with a Royal renaming that embodies our special heritage.

“As our longest serving heir to the throne, King Charles played a unique role as an enabler and catalyst in many areas of public life.  In doing so, his empathy and respect for farming and the countryside have always stood out.  People in the countryside have long valued His Majesty’s support and championing for the challenges they face, and The Prince’s Countryside Fund has given this tangible expression. 

We are incredibly proud that The King has now chosen to signal his enduring commitment to rural communities and farming families by honouring us with a change of name.  Becoming The Royal Countryside Fund confirms the importance that His Majesty continues to place upon the countryside and ensures that our support will make a difference for generations to come.”

The Prince’s Countryside Fund was founded in 2010 by HM The King when Prince of Wales, to empower small farming businesses and rural communities, in recognition of the unprecedented pace of social, economic and environmental change contributing to the countryside’s steady decline, with rural incomes falling, a loss of local services and amenities, rising costs for farmers, increasing isolation and mental health issues. 

The charity provides farming families with tailored support and expertise in business training and land management advice, in harmony with nature, to enable them to prosper and survive, while its grants empower rural communities to help them succeed by funding their own solutions to local issues.

Since its formation the charity has supported over 2,500 small farming businesses across the UK and has awarded 481 grants totalling at £11.2m, reaching over 150,000 people in rural areas.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Royal Countryside Fund, adds: “More than ever, family farms and countryside communities need our practical and grounded support to build themselves a secure and sustainable future.  Becoming The Royal Countryside Fund gives the charity not only the royal seal of approval, but also national recognition. We are thrilled with our new name, and very proud.”

The Royal Countryside Fund is extremely grateful to its many corporate partners, network of individual donors, and trusts and foundations who make its work possible.