NFU receives cash boost for school projects

NFU Education’s mission to deliver food and farming knowledge to thousands of schoolchildren across the UK has received a significant boost this week, thanks to a £70,000 donation from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.

This latest funding from rural insurer NFU Mutual will not only enhance existing programmes, but will also enable NFU Education to grow and develop new materials and educational agricultural experiences for students, the NFU said.

The NFU’s specialist education team develops school projects to help teachers deliver curriculum-based learning objectives through the lens of farming.

Initiatives include live-streamed lessons and webinars, as well as projects for the classroom that allow children to learn about food, business and enterprise, as well as science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Meanwhile, the NFU’s ‘Farmers for Schools’ programme equips farmers and industry professionals to engage directly with secondary schools, debunking myths perpetuated on social media and providing authentic insights into the agricultural industry.

Commenting on the donation, NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said: “This funding will go towards the fantastic projects that so many students across the country have taken advantage of, significantly supporting our standout programmes like STEMterprise and Farmers for Schools, as well as our highly acclaimed live lessons.

“Since their inception in 2022, our live lessons have reached over a million children. We have trained over 300 Farmers for Schools ambassadors who have brought their knowledge and passion to over 25,000 students across the country. Our STEMterprise teaching resources have also proven incredibly popular, with over 40,000 downloads in the last academic year alone. This financial boost will allow even more students to access vital knowledge about food, farming and nutrition through our STEM-based resources.

“Our mission is to make farming captivating and relatable for young people, so as they get older they can start to appreciate what the countryside and rural communities can offer.

She added: ”The vital work of NFU Education is instrumental in inspiring the next generation to understand and value the origins of their food, and the overwhelming success and popularity of our projects show the appetite to learn more.”

Jim McLaren MBE, NFU Mutual chairman and chair of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, said: “We are very proud to support the development of NFU Education through this donation. Helping young people to learn about farming is so important, and this is a fantastic initiative working closely with schools to deliver engaging and memorable lessons that complement the STEM curriculum.”