NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has donated a further £105,700 to support vital rural charities across the UK.

The latest round of donations from the Trust takes 2021's donations to £855,700, a total that is expected to reach at least £950,000 by the end of the year.

The funding will help to deliver a range of initiatives, including rural poverty relief, educating and mentoring young people, and supporting the UK’s air ambulance network.

The charities set to benefit from the donations are; Access to Farms, Air Ambulances UK, Farms for City Children, National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs, Tir Dewi and Wales YFC.

This latest round of donations follows £750,000 of funding announced in February, after the insurer pledged additional funding to help support charities and their communities during the pandemic.

The donations will be available immediately, allowing the charities to continue to provide support services at a time when many of their usual fundraising events have had to be cancelled. Applications for November’s round of donations are now open.

Group chief executive of NFU Mutual, Nick Turner, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic is still causing tremendous disruption to country people’s lives and we are determined to provide support to charities that are working hard to look after the needs of rural communities.

“We are particularly pleased to be supporting organisations for young people, including the Young Farmers Clubs, which are a vital part in so many young rural people’s lives.

“We’re also delighted to be helping fund the 21 air ambulance services, which run 40 helicopters across the UK, as we know how much this lifeline is valued by farming families.

“NFU Mutual has been supporting our members and communities for over 110 years, and through the Charitable Trust we work closely with national charities to support causes across all corners of the UK.”

Farms for City Children, an educational charity which provides children from deprived urban areas with the opportunity to live and work on a farm for a week, will be using their donation to offer 60% subsidies.

Head of fundraising at Farms for City Children, Jane Foy, said: “In 2020 we had to adapt quickly to unexpected changes due to Covid. Happily, this sudden, unpredicted change and inability to host residential visits provided us with the opportunity to work with a wider range and diverse group of children, who have enjoyed newly introduced countryside and farm day visits.

“In addition to our usual work with primary schools, we began working with groups of young people based within our farms’ local communities. Most of these young people are not currently in mainstream education and are facing particularly challenging circumstances. They have benefitted hugely from their time with us on the farms and there have been some life-changing outcomes. We want to continue providing transformational farm experiences for children and young people which NFU Mutual’s funding will help us to achieve.”