Feather Down Farm Days, the award-winning pioneers of ‘glamping’ and farm stays will be participating in a brand new pilot scheme to support the work of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, the charity that supports the people who live and work in the countryside.

On Wednesday, April 9, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, launched the pilot scheme at a reception in Penrith, attended by local tourism bosses and officials including James Mennekens, Director of the Board Feather Down plus John and Christine Stobart of nearby Howbeck Lodge Farm, one of the original Feather Down Farms.

The new micro-donation scheme will allow Feather Down’s customers to voluntarily donate a nominal amount of £1 when they book their holidays online. The pilot scheme will provide an easy means for people to contribute towards the many projects that are supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund benefiting hard pressed rural areas in Britain.

His Royal Highness thanked the local tourism businesses and officials attending the launch for their enthusiastic support of the pilot: “I have always wanted to engage with the tourism and hospitality sector to see whether it might be possible to encourage visitors to support and help maintain the countryside they value so much. That is why I am absolutely delighted to have the backing of the remarkable group of companies and organizations involved in this pilot project.

They see the point of what I am trying to do and share my belief that we must secure the future of our rural communities – for this generation and those yet to come. This pilot, which I hope will be taken up by other like minded companies in due course, will enable visitors, collectively, to make a real difference to the future of rural areas."

The scheme is close to Feather Down’s heart as the company has enabled farmers across Britain and parts of Europe to diversify and gain a solid income from offering holidaymakers luxury furnished tents on their land, whilst they de-stress from urban living and enjoy life on the farm. Feather Down will now be able to contribute even further via this new scheme which will help farmers who are under pressure from the harsh realities of modern day farming.

James Mennekens, Director of the Board said: ‘Feather Down Farm Days are excited about this extremely worthwhile new initiative which perfectly complements our company ethos. The British countryside is the backdrop to our much-loved holidays and we feel it is important to remind our customers that there are certain rural communities and farmers facing problems who need funding to help them survive and thrive. We sincerely hope that by encouraging our customers to make a small donation when they book a stay at Feather Down Farms we can raise a considerable amount of money to keep supporting our rural communities and ensure that the countryside is sustained for future generations to enjoy.’ The Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, Dawn Howard, added: “Rural tourism is a vitally important industry to the countryside. When people visit the countryside on holidays or short breaks it is essential to remind them that farming and rural life is often precarious and needs funding and support to help it thrive. This scheme will raise money to support our projects and will also help spread awareness of the importance of rural issues. We are delighted that these eight like-minded organizations recognize the value of the countryside and we are grateful to each of the companies taking part for their enthusiasm and willingness to work with us”.

Feather Down’s customers will be able to donate their pound from day one of the launch as they have speedily installed the technology. Those who have already booked will be invited to donate should they wish to do so. The voluntary one pound, micro-donation per customer will add up to significant amounts. This money will then be given as grants to support projects including apprenticeships for budding farmers, training for young people to gain employment in the rural economy, community transport schemes in isolated rural areas or projects supporting community assets such as pubs, post office and village shops.