Protecting Rural Lives and Livelihoods
Rural communities are very close to our hearts. With more than 280 agency offices across the UK, we’re in a unique position to understand our members and their communities.
We aim to make positive impacts on the welfare of those working and living in rural communities in the UK, and being there for our members in times of need.
Learn more about the activity we have in place to look after our members and support our communities
Our progress: Protecting Rural Lives and Rural Communities
| Priority | Aims for 2024 | Delivered in 2024 | Aims for 2025 | Longer-term aims |
|
Supporting |
Maintain over 40% of customers agree that NFU Mutual helps to support their welfare |
70% of customers agree that NFU Mutual helps to support their welfare |
Maintain over 50% of customers agree that NFU Mutual helps to support their welfare |
Maintain over 50% of customers agree that NFU Mutual helps to support their welfare by 2029 |
| Supporting the welfare of our members- customers in farming occupations |
Maintain over 40% of customers in farming-related occupations agree that NFU Mutual supports their welfare |
69% of customers in farming-related occupations agree that NFU Mutual supports their welfare |
Maintain over 50% of customers in farming-related occupations agree that NFU Mutual supports their welfare |
Maintain over 50% of customers in farming-related occupations agree that NFU Mutual supports their welfare by 2029 |
| Rural Crime - prevention awareness |
Maintain 57% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they are aware of prevention solutions to help them manage the overall cost of rural crime risk |
66% of customers in farming-related occupations agree they are aware of prevention solutions to help them manage the overall cost of rural crime risk |
68% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they are aware of prevention solutions to help them manage the overall cost of rural crime risk |
70% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they are aware of prevention solutions to help them manage the overall cost of rural crime risk by 2029 |
| Rural Crime - prevention solutions |
Maintain 36% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they use rural crime prevention solutions, as provided and highlighted by NFU Mutual, to help manage the overall cost of risk |
40% of customers in farming-related occupations agree they use rural crime prevention solutions, as provided and highlighted by NFU Mutual, to help manage the overall cost of risk |
43% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they use rural crime prevention solutions, as provided and highlighted by NFU Mutual, to help manage the overall cost of risk |
45% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree they use rural crime prevention solutions, as provided and highlighted by NFU Mutual, to help manage the overall cost of risk by 2029 |
| Rural Crime - public awareness |
Maintain 54% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree NFU Mutual has raised awareness with the wider public of the challenges rural crime poses |
53% of customers in farming-related occupations agree NFU Mutual has raised awareness with the wider public of the challenges rural crime poses |
55% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree NFU Mutual has raised awareness with the wider public of the challenges rural crime poses |
60% of customers in farming-related occupations to agree NFU Mutual has raised awareness with the wider public of the challenges rural crime poses by 2029 |
| Rural Road Safety - awareness |
In 2024, we will continue to share Rural Road Safety guidance. We will canvas views and work with partners to create and release a ‘Code for Countryside Roads’ guidance document on how people should use rural roads safely |
NFU Mutual published the first Code for Countryside Roads in 2024. |
Of customers who say they are aware of NFU Mutual's Rural Road Safety support, maintain over 80% to agree that NFU Mutual's Rural Road Safety campaign encourages safer, more considerate use of rural roads |
Of customers who say they are aware of NFU Mutual's Rural Road Safety support, maintain over 80% to agree that NFU Mutual's Rural Road Safety campaign encourages safer, more considerate use of rural roads |
| Rural Road Safety - action |
New target |
Of customers who say they are aware of NFU Mutual’s Rural Road Safety support, 57% agree they practice safer driving habits as a result of NFU Mutual’s rural road safety campaigns |
Maintain over 50% of customers who say they are aware of NFU Mutual’s Rural Road Safety support agreeing they practice safer driving habits as a result of NFU Mutual’s rural road safety campaigns |
Maintain over 50% of customers who say they are aware of NFU Mutual’s Rural Road Safety support agreeing they practice safer driving habits as a result of NFU Mutual’s rural road safety campaigns |
| Extreme weather | 10% of eligible home claims settlements to include flood resilience measures. A claim is eligible if the claims costs exceeded £10,000 |
17% of eligible home claims settlements included flood resilience measures |
Maintain 15% of eligible home claims settlements included flood resilience measures | Maintain 15% of eligible home claims settlements to include flood resilience measures. A claim is eligible if the claims costs exceeded £10,000 |
| Voluntary contributions for Farming Unions |
Maintain £8.4m of funding |
£8.7m of funding |
Maintain funding levels for 2025 | Establish a benchmark and targets for the social value delivered through this funding |
| Priority | Aims for 2024 | Delivered in 2024 | Aims for 2025 | Longer-term aims |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charitable Giving | Maintain current levels of funding | £3.25m donated to local and national charities (2023: £3.25m). This represents 0.85% of NFU Mutual's pre-tax profit |
NFU Mutual's Charitable Giving Pledge for 2025 will increase to £4m. This figure recognises inflationary increases to ensure that we can maintain our support for the charitable sector in real terms |
An increase in the total value of Charitable Giving from £3.25 million to £4 million per annum for the following three years in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflationary increases |
| Charitable Giving | Establish a tool to measure social value delivered by NFU Mutual's community support | During 2024, we identified an appropriate social value measurement framework, which will enable us to improve our understanding of the impact of our charitable giving programmes. Work to implement a phased adoption of this new framework will commence in 2025 |
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual's community support |
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual's community support |
| Charitable Giving | Maintain over 90% of Agents agree that NFU Mutual's charitable giving programme is making a difference in their local community | 87% of Agents agree that NFU Mutual's charitable giving programme is making a difference in their local community |
90% of Agents agree that NFU Mutual's charitable giving programme is making a difference in their local community |
Maintain over 90% of Agents agree that NFU Mutual's charitable giving programme is making a difference in their local community |
Our £3.25m 2024 charitable giving total was made up of:
| Priority | Aims for 2024 | Delivered in 2024 | Aims for 2025 | Longer-term aims |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency Giving Fund | Maintain £1.92m of funding | £1.92m donated to local charities through our Agency Giving Fund |
Funding to be increased to £2.33m using funds from the uplifted annual charitable giving pledge
|
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual’s community support |
| NFU Mutual Charitable Trust |
Maintain £1m of funding |
£1m donated through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust |
Funding to be increased to £1.2m using funds from the uplifted annual charitable giving pledge |
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual’s community support |
| The Farm Safety Foundation |
Maintain £300,000 of funding |
£300,000 donated to The Farm Safety Foundation |
Funding to be increased to £370,000 in 2025 using funds from the uplifted annual charitable giving pledge
|
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual’s community support |
| NFU Mutual Charitable Trust Centenary Award (postgraduate bursaries for agriculture students) |
Maintain £21,000 of funding |
£31,411 of funding that supported four bursary recipients |
Maintain £21,000 of funding – supporting around three bursary recipients
|
Establish benchmark and targets for social value delivered through NFU Mutual’s community support |
