Lloyds Bank Agriculture has announced its intention to commit substantial funding over the next three years to rural charity The Prince’s Countryside Fund.

Set up by HRH The Prince of Wales, the Fund supports the multitude of organisations and individuals working to keep farmers in business and rural communities alive.

Helen Aldis from the Fund said: “Our countryside faces many challenges.

“By working with companies such as Lloyds Bank Agriculture we are able to invest in projects that help create a thriving rural community, injecting funding and resources to support fledgling rural businesses, assisting farmers to improve their business performance and encouraging the next generation to consider a career in the countryside.”

Andrew Naylor, head of agriculture at Lloyds Bank, said: “I am delighted that we have committed a further three years to this extremely worthwhile initiative.

“We recognise that for the farming sector to prosper, it needs to be supported by thriving rural communities, which is at the heart of the Fund’s work in tackling issues such as isolation and the decline in rural communities. Lloyds Banking Group has a strong heritage with the agricultural sector and is the country’s biggest lender to the rural community through its specialist teams in Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland and long-term finance provider the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

“By working closely together in rural communities to support farming businesses and backing the work of organisations like The Prince’s Countryside Fund, we hope to help Britain prosper.”

For more information call Helen Aldis at The Prince’s Countryside Fund on 0207 7566 6659 or email helen.aldis@bitc.org.uk.