The Royal Countryside Fund, which supports farming and rural communities, will launch a new UK-wide Supporting Rural Communities grant programme on 10 January 2025.

The programme will provide grants of up to £25,000 over two years to deliver activities along the themes of:

• Keep young people in the countryside – support for projects which increase access to skills training and employment opportunities in rural communities, creating greater opportunities for young people to stay, live and work in the countryside
• Powering up rural communities – support for organisations which aim to provide financial benefits to the locality through developing innovative, replicable projects which address local needs
• Increasing environmental sustainability – support for community-driven projects which aim to increase the environmental sustainability of their community through reducing emissions/environmental impact
• Building emergency resilience in rural areas – support for communities to develop preventative measures and plans to respond to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, helping them to be better prepared to cope with and recover from emergencies.

Not-for-profit and community organisations with an annual turnover of less than £500,000 will be eligible to apply.

Deadline: 21-02-2025

https://www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/how-we-help/rural-communities/