County Durham Community Foundation has launched a Farming Community Crisis Helping Hands Appeal to support farmers in County Durham, as the extended bad weather conditions have created a major issue in farming communities.
The lambing season has been severely affected, with sheep aborting or slipping lambs and sheep being in such poor condition that they do not have sufficient milk to feed their young.
Farmers are now so behind with their day to day tasks due to the amount of time they are having to focus on caring for young lambs and sheep, that they are now in crisis. Although Defra has recently announced support for the removal of dead animals, there are more basic problems which must be addressed such as the backlog of general farming tasks and emotional support needed during this very difficult time.
County Durham Community Foundation is matching a donation of £4,000 made by Prince Charles’ Countryside Fund to provide some initial funding to pay for a pool of qualified, insured and local farm workers who can give immediate support to those in need. However, we are also appealing for further donations to increase support to these farming communities that need help NOW.
You can show your support by sending a cheque made payable to County Durham Community Foundation, referencing FCCA on the reverse. You can also visit www.justgiving.com/FCCA to donate through our Just Giving page. Alternatively, you can text FCCA99 with the amount £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070. If you need any more information on the Farming Community Crisis Appeal or how you can donate you can visit the CDCF website.