A RURAL insurer donated more than £1million to charity during the past year. 

In 2023, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust donated more than £1million to 25 good causes across the UK. 

These include rural poverty relief, helping small farm businesses to thrive, educating and mentoring young people and supporting the UK's air ambulance network. 

Nick Turner, group chief executive of NFU Mutual, said: “We understand these are challenging times and have been determined to continue supporting organisations working incredibly hard to deliver essential services for our communities.

"We’re very proud to be championing the work of these great causes through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.”

Organisations that have benefit from the trust's donations in 2023 include: 

  • Access to Farms
  • Addington Fund
  • Air Ambulances UK
  • FareShare
  • The Farming Community Network
  • Farms for City Children
  • Farmstrong Scotland
  • Gareth Raw Rees Memorial Trust
  • Henry Plumb Foundation
  • LEAF
  • National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs
  • NFU Education
  • Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust
  • Open Farm Weekend Northern Ireland
  • Oxford Farming Conference
  • RABI
  • RSABI
  • Rural Support
  • Samaritans
  • Tir Dewi
  • The Royal Countryside Fund
  • Royal Highland Education Trust
  • The Smallpeice Trust
  • Wales Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
  • Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster  

The trust has donated £50,000 to FareShare, the UK's biggest charity tackling food waste. They are using their donation to rescue edible surplus food and distribute it to a network of 8,500 charities and community groups across the UK. 

Polly Bianchi, director of fundraising at FareShare, added: “We are enormously grateful to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for this generous donation. It will go a long way to supporting our work getting good-to-eat food, which might otherwise go to waste, to people who need it this winter.

"Our network of 8,500 local charities across the UK, which includes homelessness shelters, after school clubs, and older people’s lunch clubs, will be working harder than ever over the winter, supporting people facing food insecurity and loneliness.

"The support of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust will make a huge difference and help those facing isolation access vital support services and bring people together through food this winter.” 

Applications for the trust's next round of donations, which will be awarded in June 2024, are now open. Full details can be found on the NFU Mutual website.