Eight rural communities across the UK are being given a helping hand by countryside charity, The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which has announced over £240,000 of grant awards in their most recent round of funding.

New projects include funding to assist the communities of Criftins in Shropshire, Detling in Kent, and Lochcarron in the Scottish Highlands to run vital community services and improve local assets.

Projects that support the development of skills and help facilitate training for young people interested in a career in agriculture have been funded through Radnor YFC in Powys, Wales, and Southern Regional College in Newry, Northern Ireland.

Three communities have also been supported through the Rural Four programme, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. This programme aims to tackle isolation in rural communities.

Two projects on the island of Iona – the renovation of the village hall, and the development of affordable housing – have been supported.

Lurgashall in West Sussex has also been awarded a grant to support the refurbishment of their community run village shop.

The Fund is currently open for grant applications until February 21, 2019. More information can be found on The Prince’s Countryside Fund website.

The latest round of grants include:

Criftins Parish Hall

Criftins Parish Hall and Playing Fields in Shropshire was awarded £25,000.

Part funding for modernisation and refurbishment of the community pub which is the main income provider for the parish hall.

A refurbishment of the pub will support local events such as weddings and funerals, sports teams and local clubs. The pub is run by volunteers and any income generated is put straight back into supporting the community’s requests and needs.

Detling CIC

Detling CIC in Kent was awarded £45,000.

The grant will fund the salary of a shop manager to help to sustain the Detling Community by creating a community hub – anchored by a shop, Post Office and cafe.

With the store in place, the elderly and parents with young children will have somewhere to go, which is close to the children’s playground.

In addition, the shop will contribute to local democracy by providing office space for residents to meet the Parish Clerk, Parish, District and County Councillors.

Lochcarron Community Development Company

Lochcarron Community Development Company in the Scottish Highlands was awarded £25,000.

Currently, the Smithy Community Hub is located on the busy North Coast 500 and is part of the UNESCO Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve.

It comprises of a series of buildings and is rented to local craft businesses including pottery, traditional crafts, a beeswax candle maker, and a craft collective.

This funding will provide a renovated community cafe, food training for some staff and part of the salary for a project officer.

Radnor Federation of Young Farmer’s Clubs

Radnor Federation of Young Farmer’s Clubs in Powys, Wales was awarded £40,000.

The main purpose of the project is to provide training and skills development for young people who earn their living through agriculture or who would like to develop a career in agriculture in the rural county of Radnorshire in Mid Wales.

This will be a three-year scheme including a bursary for up to 40 young people to be spent on accredited training. Funding will also go towards staffing costs to run the project.

Southern Regional College

Southern Regional College in Newry, Northern Ireland was awarded £48,380.62.

The aim of the project is to provide accredited training to people in rural areas from both farming and non-farming backgrounds.

The training will focus on Agriculture, Countryside Management & Environment equipping participants with the skills required to conserve and develop their locality for future generations enhancing its long-term sustainability. The grant will fund 20 people.

Rural grants

The following grants have been made available thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery:

Iona Village Hall Community Trust

Iona Village Hall Community Trust in Argyll, Scotland was awarded £25,000.

This project is a renovation of Iona village hall which is the only dedicated community space on the
island available to the 165 residents.

The funding is for a kitchen renovation, storage equipment, tables/chairs for a meeting space, and lighting.

Additionally, projectors and sound equipment for the hall are requested to host a regular winter film night for isolated elderly residents who cannot travel to the mainland cinema.

Lurgashall Village Shop

Lurgashall Village Shop in West Sussex was awarded £20,000.

The project will refurbish the existing shop to create a sustainable village hub and Post Office in a small rural community with very little public transport.

The shop had become run-down, under-used and was in danger of being closed, so the community set up this not-for-profit social enterprise initially run by volunteers.

The freeholder has approved a nine-year lease. The aim is also to employ two part-time members of staff to help provide a professional service and relieve some of the burden on the volunteers.

Mull and Iona Community Trust

Mull and Iona Community Trust in Argyll, Scotland was awarded £18,200.24.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund grant will build on an existing project to part-fund a housing project officer who will oversee the development of four new houses for long term affordable rent in Ulva Ferry, on the rural west coast on the Isle of Mull.