ICMIF member NFU Mutual (UK) has announced it will be donating GBP 3.25m of funding for local and national charities in 2023. The funding will support communities across the UK and assist those facing the cost-of-living crisis.

NFU Mutual says it will continue to support national and regional charities and has pledged a further GBP 1m in funding to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. Set up in 1998, the Trust supports charities and organisations working in the interests of agriculture, rural communities and the countryside. In 2022, the Trust delivered GBP 1 million to good causes, these included: Air Ambulances UK, the Disasters Emergency Committee, FareShare, Samaritans and many others.

Alongside the donation to its Charitable Trust this year, the mutual insurer will also be donating to local front-line charities through its Agency Giving Fund. In 2020, NFU Mutual recognised the vital need for supporting local frontline charities in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic, and so it set up the Agency Giving Fund. NFU Mutual knew that its agency businesses were best-placed in their communities to identify where local funds should be directed, so they were invited to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund during the Fund’s first year. The agency offices and branches cover over 295 locations nationwide, so this ensures that donations reached all corners of the UK.

A sum of GBP 1 million was distributed through the Agency Giving Fund during 2020 to help communities deal with the unfolding situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and, in response to the ongoing challenges faced by communities across the UK, NFU Mutual has continued to support communities through the Fund during 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, to ensure the GBP 1.92m donation to the Fund reaches all corners of the UK and is directed where it is needed most, NFU Mutual’s Agency and branch offices will once again be invited to nominate local front-line charities to receive a share of the Fund.

NFU Mutual has also committed GBP 30,000 to its Community Champions scheme, to support causes close to the heart of the mutual’s employees, by donating to staff fundraising events and initiatives. The GBP 3.25m funding is completed with a GBP 300,000 donation to the Farm Safety Foundation, an independent registered charity founded and funded by NFU Mutual which raises awareness of farm safety among younger farmers and, through engagement and education, challenges and changes their risk-taking behaviours.

Nick Turner, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said: “Helping our members in times of need and supporting communities has always been at the very heart of our approach at NFU Mutual. We recognise these are challenging times, and our business is committed to supporting national and local organisations who are delivering vital services to those in need.”