Supporting our communities
As the UK’s leading rural insurer, we’re in a unique position to understand the issues affecting our members and their communities. We care about their health and wellbeing, and work hard to protect their livelihoods.
During 2024, we are pledging £3.25m of funding for local and national charities across the UK.
Find out about some our initiatives that support our communities:
Agency Giving Fund
The Agency Giving Fund is a national fund to support local charities and was first set up in 2020 in response to the pandemic – to provide emergency support and assist with recovery.
To ensure funding is distributed across the UK, and to where it matters most, NFU Mutual invites all local agency and branch offices to nominate local charities. Their local knowledge directs the funding to where it matters most.
The Agency Giving Fund supports a wide range of charities, from providing food parcels, to supporting local hospices and mental health support groups. We’re proud that the Fund is championing services that play a vital role for our members and their communities.
Find out more about the Agency Giving Fund
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Established in 1998, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust promotes and supports national and regional charitable causes in agriculture and rural development in the UK.
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is NFU Mutual’s principle way to support national charities and has a particular focus on supporting projects that make a positive difference to education, research, social welfare and poverty relief in rural communities.
We’re proud to advocate the work of supported charities and to champion their efforts through awareness campaigns and events.
Find out more about the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Community Champions Scheme
The Community Champions Scheme was a newly launched scheme in 2022 to support staff fundraising activities and causes close to key office sites, including Stratford upon Avon and our regional service centres across the UK. £30,000 will be distributed through this funding during 2024.
One of the initiatives to have been previously supported through the scheme is a partnership with national environmental charity, The Tree Council, to support their nature and conservation work in UK neighbourhoods. In July 2022, we were proud to announce that NFU Mutual had joined forces with The Tree Council, as a Jubilee Partner for The Queen’s Green Canopy.
The Community Champions Scheme also supports staff fundraising events. From bake sales and sponsored runs to quiz nights and cycle rides, we want to support our people as they look to make a difference in their communities. We provide charitable donations of up to £50 per person, up to £500 for a team event, to support staff fundraising initiatives.
Outside of the Community Champions Scheme, we also offer payroll giving initiatives to enable our employees to donate to charities through their salaries if they wish to do so. To ensure 100% of employee donations go to the nominated charities, NFU Mutual funds the administrative fees for our payroll giving schemes.
NFU Mutual Centenary Award
Photography: Phil Morley
We first launched the annual NFU Mutual Centenary Award in 2010 to celebrate our 100th year. It aims to support innovation and research in UK agriculture whilst also championing passionate individuals who demonstrate potential to make an impact in the industry. The annual award is funded by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and provides bursaries of up to 75% of course fees for selected postgraduate students in agriculture.
Find out more about the Centenary Award
Farm Safety Foundation
As a Mutual insurer that has cared about the countryside, farmers and their families for over a century, NFU Mutual took the decision in 2014 to establish the Farm Safety Foundation, an independent registered charity to help farmers work safely (Registered Charity No. 1159000).
The Farm Safety Foundation (or Yellow Wellies as many know them) works throughout the UK to preserve and protect both the physical and mental wellbeing of those living and working in the industry.
NFU Mutual’s funding has allowed the charity to develop and deliver farm safety and mental health training across the UK. The charity has also created and funded two annual awareness campaigns – Farm Safety Week and Mind Your Head, and continues to work closely with partners and stakeholders nationally and internationally. Raising awareness of farm safety and poor mental health is a key objective, in order to drive a reduction in the number of injuries and fatalities that continue to give agriculture the poorest record of any occupation in the UK.
Find out more about the Farm Safety Foundation
Employee Volunteering
We understand that charities and organisations working to provide valuable support to our communities often need a helping hand. That’s why, in addition to financial donations, we’re proud to support causes across the UK through the fantastic efforts of our people.
Case study: our volunteering in action
Find out more about our employee volunteering programme
Find out more
Supporting our communities is just one of the ways we deliver against our amibition of Protecting Rural Lives and Livelihoods. To learn more about our strategy and actions, explore our latest Responsible Business Report.
