Forage Aid grateful for NFU Mutual Charitable Trust Donation
Forage Aid trustees were delighted to be awarded a significant donation by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust which recognised them as a key contributor to the farming charity sector. Alongside other Farming Help charities, Forage Aid were chosen to receive a share of £739,000 made available by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to assist rural communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Founder and Chairman of Forage Aid, Andrew Ward MBE, said, ‘The generous reward made to Forage Aid will be used to support our operations as we look to help those farm businesses affected by COVID-19 and any extreme weather events they may face. We would like to place on record our grateful thanks to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, their significant donation will make a real difference to our charity.’
With Forage Aid Trustees recently urging farmers to start planning for a potential drought with the lack of rain seen over recent weeks, this significant donation from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is very timely and will help Forage Aid support farmers in the future with weather challenges when they may already be hampered by the hangover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is one the main ways NFU Mutual provides charitable support for its communities. Early in April, the insurer pledged an additional £750,000 to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to grant these donations, as part of an overall £32m support package NFU Mutual committed for the benefit of its members and communities affected by the Coronavirus. Additional donations will be distributed by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to further this support over the coming months and, by the end of the year, it is expected that the Trust’s overall donations during 2020 will reach £1m.
Lindsay Sinclair, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said: “We understand how isolation is affecting people and families, and that our members need these services now more than ever. The emotional and practical support offered by these charities will be vital for all our communities at this challenging time.
“Our members have told us that loneliness, the strain of juggling home and work, financial pressures, lack of broadband and access to general amenities, is impacting every inch of their lives and leading to feelings of heightened anxiety and fear.
“As a result of Covid-19, we know that there are extra demands on charities, which is why we want to help them take care of the ‘now,’ as well as the future financial health of their organisation. Some of these funds will enable charities to ‘stay open’ so they can continue to deliver their much needed services. Other donations will be used to support frontline assistance such as telephone and email helplines and advice and signposting, helping our communities to stay strong and resilient, from the Highlands and Islands to towns and remote villages.”
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