A WORKING farm on the outskirts of Carlisle is one of two Cumbrian projects to benefit from the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

Susan’s Farm was chosen along with the Northern Fells Group from a list of nearly 300 applications for assistance.

The Fund also awarded the Farming Community Network with £6,000 to allow them to increase their helpline provision.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund has awarded over £120,000 of funding to 62 community-led projects dealing with the impact of Covid-19 across the UK - including the two in Cumbria.

Susan’s Farm, on the outskirts of Carlisle, and the Northern Fells Group were chosen from a list of nearly 300 applications for assistance. The fund has also awarded the Farming Community Network over £6,000 to allow them to increase their helpline provision.

Susan’s Farm is run by Susan Aglionby, which normally hosts educational visits for school pupils and therapeutic activities for vulnerable individuals, but it is now delivering fresh home-cooked meals for individuals at risk and offering a helpline phone service for those lonely and isolated. “We at Susan’s Farm are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a grant from the PCF. Thank you so much for the trust you have placed in us. We have already started our first meal deliveries to those with long term mental health issues today. I’ve just spoken to our cook and she says they are so delighted to see someone familiar from Susan’s Farm and desperate to come back and it is heart breaking they are so isolated. Your funding makes a huge difference in reducing these vulnerable individuals’ sense of isolation,” said Susan.

The Northern Fells group is offering practical support through: picking up shopping, posting mail, collecting prescriptions or medicines, delivering locally cooked take-out meals, dog walking and other requests. Libby, The Northern Fells Group Fundraising Co-ordinator said: “The Northern Fells Group is delighted to have secured this emergency funding in such an unprecedented and busy time. We have worked incessantly to recruit over 170 new volunteers, to publicise their availability to offer help to our community and to match volunteers with tasks and older, more vulnerable people to help them with self isolation and lock down. The volunteers are a lifeline to our users, many of whom are elderly and live alone in isolated households in the northern fells area. The funding will enable us to coordinate and support our valuable volunteers to enable them to offer practical help and support to our community”

Claire Saunders, fund director said: “These small rural organisations are the lifeblood of many far-flung communities. They have adapted to provide unprecedented support to rural people, quickly, and efficiently, with the help of a dedicated army of local volunteers.

The Northern Fells group are offering practical support through: picking up shopping, posting mail, collecting prescriptions or medicines, delivering locally cooked take-out meals, dog walking and any other reasonable request. They are also providing emotional support through their Phone a Friend phone tree scheme with regular calls to check out vulnerable people are OK, as well as regular contact and communication providing information and handy hints e.g. well-being activities at home, through the issue of regular information bulletins through our web site, email database and by hard copy.

Libby, The Northern Fells Group Fundraising Co-ordinator said:

“The Northern Fells Group is delighted to have secured this emergency funding in such an unprecedented and busy time. We have worked incessantly to recruit over 170 new volunteers, to publicise their availability to offer help to our community and to match volunteers with tasks and older, more vulnerable people to help them with self isolation and lock down. The volunteers are a lifeline to our users, many of whom are elderly and live alone in isolated households in the northern fells area. The funding will enable us to coordinate and support our valuable volunteers to enable them to offer practical help and support to our community”