Write a commentSouthern Regional College (SRC), and local farmers from Armagh, Newry, Mourne and Down celebrated the success of the Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) programme Protect your Sons and Daughters. Financed by HRH the Prince of Wales, the PCF was a new initiative aimed at delivering Farm Health & Safety as well as Business Enterprise Skills to local farm families.
The programme was aimed at young farmers and members of the farming family but particularly those living in the border areas of Northern Ireland, isolated areas such as the Mourne Mountains and those young farmers who for various reasons were unable to attend agricultural college.
The aim of the PCF programme was to provide 60 farmers with accredited training, workshops and study visits to enhance their management skills and to support the sustainability of the agri-food industry. The programme also addressed the need for health and safety, raising awareness of the many dangers of working in the rural community and the hazards faced by farmers on a daily basis.
David Vint, SRC Assistant Director commented “It is great to see programmes like this having a genuine positive influence within our farming communities. It is our ambition at SRC to be actively promoting community education within our region and be an agent for economic change. This project had a real impact on farmer families lives and helped farmers gain skills and confidence that will sustain farming in our local community”.
Noel Lavery, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development said that “Education is key to DARD strategy and we have worked hard on the Farm Safety Partnership with the UFU and HSENI. We are absolutely committed to improving safety on farms. SRC’s initiative is something we are glad to support”.
Also speaking at the celebration event was Mr Ian Marshall, President of the Ulster Farmers Union. “It has been a privilege for the UFU to be associated with the work the SRC has delivered for the benefit of those in the agri-food sector. Training, education and knowledge transfer with a focus on health and safety on farms has proved extremely beneficial to all that participated'
For further information on the Prince’s Countryside Fund please contact Heather Kavanagh kavanaghh@src.ac.uk 0300 123 1223
