The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF), the UK-wide charity working alongside farming families and rural communities to provide the support and funding they need to thrive, has awarded £24,690 in funding to LandLinked CIC, a Welsh community interest company working at the intersection of people, land, and learning.
The support will allow LandLinked CIC to deliver fully-funded training opportunities for 18 to 25-year-olds in North Wales. The programme focuses on practical, land-based skills, from rotational grazing to soil management and hedgelaying, on real working farms.
Richard Prideaux, Director, LandLinked CIC, said:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Royal Countryside Fund for supporting this project. The funding will enable us to deliver practical, land-based training to young people in rural North Wales – building skills, confidence, and stronger connections to place. It’s a meaningful step towards supporting rural livelihoods and encouraging long-term care for our shared landscapes.”
The funding for LandLinked CIC is part of £194,538 which the RCF distributed to eight rural community organisations across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2025.
This support is aimed at empowering rural communities to develop community-led solutions that increase their resilience and sustainability, unlocking the huge potential for positive change in the countryside. The funding programme was aimed at innovative solutions that “power up, not prop up” communities, inspiring change and encouraging economic vibrancy.
Keith Halstead, Executive Director, RCF, said:
“With these latest grants, we want to power up rural communities across the whole of the UK – from the Isle of Wight to the Scottish Highlands, and from Wales to North Norfolk. We received so many excellent applications, which is a testament both to the incredible untapped potential and energy of our rural communities, but also to the urgent need for more support.
“As with all our funding, we have chosen projects which are community-led and run by local people who understand the challenges and opportunities we face. We want to combine their local knowledge and passion with our funding and support, to deliver real and lasting change together. We’re also excited to welcome them into our Confident Rural Communities Network, which brings together organisations from across the UK to share ideas, resources and inspire one another.”
To find out more about the RCF and to support the charity’s work, please visit the RCF website: www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/support-us/
