Mat Roberts, head of sustainability at Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) and director of sustainability strategy at Interserve, has been appointed a trustee for the Prince’s Countryside Fund, an initiative spearheaded by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Launched by Business in the Community (BiTC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network, the Fund was born from the Prince’s Rural Action Programme which was started in 2001. It is a grant-giving charity supported by businesses that contribute money and other charitable activities which will improve the viability of British farming and help to support and make sustainable our rural communities.
Helen Aldis, Senior Manager at The Prince’s Countryside Fund, said:
“The Prince’s Countryside Fund was set up as HRH The Prince of Wales was concerned about the issues facing our rural areas and wanted to find a way in which funding could be provided to specific projects.
“The board of trustees is an extremely important part of this process, and the 16-strong team has been brought together based on their wide range of skills and expertise, with their roles ranging from the financial and dairy industries through to consultancy, retail and with the addition of Landmarc, land management.
“The role of the trustee is not only to help advise where grants should be given, based on their skills and experience both professionally and personally, but also how we develop and grow The Prince’s Countryside Fund and of course, making the final decision on what projects we should support.”
The Prince’s Countryside Fund distributes money twice a year, and also has an emergency fund, which can be used at times of crisis in the countryside – such as the flooding experienced last year and helping farmers who lost livestock due to the harsh winter weather.
Mat Roberts, head of sustainability at Landmarc and director of sustainability strategy at Interserve added:
“It’s a real honour for me to represent Landmarc in the role of trustee for the Fund. As Landmarc is one of the largest land management organisations in the UK, looking after around 200,000 hectares of land and 600 tenant farmers, we have a significant rural presence as a business and a deep understanding of rural issues.
“As I have ‘mud on my boots’ coming from a rural background and a farming family, I am hoping that I can bring an understanding of the issues at a deep seated level but also bring a modern business perspective as to how we can face, and tackle, the challenges facing the rural community.”
To mark the launch of National Countryside Week (20th to 26th July) the Fund is announcing 15 new projects that will receive £800,000 in grant funding. This will bring the total figure of monies distributed to over £6 million benefitting over 160,000 people who live and work in our rural areas.
For more information about the Prince’s Countryside Fund and how it can help you please visit http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk.
