The Prince’s Countryside Fund is delighted to announce the
appointment of three new trustees to their board: Heather
Hancock, Steve Murrells, and Baroness . The appointments
follow the completion of the terms of office of trustees Sara
Bennison (Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Nationwide
Building Society) and Steve McLean (Head of Agriculture &
Fisheries at Marks & Spencer plc) who will step down in
September 2021 after, respectively, 10 years and 9 years on the
board.
Heather Hancock is the Master of St John’s College, Cambridge.
Previously Chair of the Food Standards Agency, Heather’s
non-executive appointments include being a Director of Rural
Solutions Ltd.
Heather said: “I’ve long admired The Prince’s Countryside Fund.
The PCF truly understands the needs of families who farm and of
rural life. That’s why the support it provides is right on target
to help family farms and rural communities secure a sustainable
future. It’s an honour to be invited to join the PCF as it
champions the people who provide the backbone of rural Britain.”
The second new addition to our board of trustees is Steve
Murrells. Steve became Co-op Group CEO in March 2017 having
previously led the Co-op’s Food business. Before joining the
Co-op, Steve had been CEO at Tulip. Steve told us: “I’m
absolutely delighted to be joining the PCF as a trustee, and to
play my part in helping support family Farms and local
communities deal with the immense commercial and social
challenges that sit before them”
Thirdly, Baroness holds a portfolio
of non-executive appointments, including being a Senior
Independent Director of Keller Group, Chairman of Wrackleford
Farms Ltd, and a Board Member of the Centre for Data Ethics &
Innovation. Kate was appointed a Life Peer in 2015, and also sits
on the House of Lords Select Committees for Science and
Technology and the Rural Economy.
Kate said: “It is a great honour to be appointed a Trustee of The
Prince’s Countryside Fund. The work that PCF does in empowering
family farms and rural communities to ensure their future, as
well as providing training for young people is truly inspiring.
As a tenant farmer myself, I am particularly pleased that PCF
champions the importance of tenant farmers to our national
farming community.”
,
Chair of PCF Board of Trustees said, “I would like to extend my
thanks to Heather, Steve, and Kate for joining the Board and
helping us to continue to make a remarkable contribution to the
future of our countryside and the viability of British farming.
Their combined, in depth, knowledge of farming and rural life
will be immensely beneficial to the PCF at this time of
uncertainty and significant change.
“I would also like to thank Sara and Steve for their significant
contribution to the PCF over the past decade. I have very much
appreciated their dedication to the PCF and invaluable sound
advice.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010, The Prince’s
Countryside Fund’s vision isthe only UK-wide charity that
empowers family farms and rural communities to ensure their
future. Over the past decade, The Prince’s Countryside Fund has
invested more than £10 million to over 400 projects working
across the UK which improve service provision in rural areas,
support farming businesses and rural enterprises, and provide
training opportunities for young people. We’ve supported nearly
1000 farming families to take charge of their business through
The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, and working with our Farm
Support Group Initiative, helped countless others to access local
support when it’s needed most.
The countryside, what it does, what it produces and what it
offers impacts on us all. The Prince’s Countryside Fund wishes to
see a thriving countryside – a living, breathing, working place,
so that it is there for everyone. In order to create a real
future for rural Britain, we work in a number of ways:
- Investing at least £500,000 through our grant programmes for
rural communities to catalyse community-led solutions and
illuminating their success so that others can follow.
- Leading initiatives, such as The Prince’s Farm Resilience
Programme which offers free environmental and business skills
training to family farms across the UK.
- Developing new schemes to assist young people and new
entrants into farming and strengthening our networks of support
such as the Farm Support Groups Initiative so they are ready and
able to provide local support to farming communities.
- Commissioning research into issues affecting farming families
and rural communities.
- Being an advocate for the countryside by bringing together
individuals and businesses to help tackle current challenges such
as the climate crisis.
- Helping communities in crisis through our Emergency Fund and
by collaborating with Farming Help.
