Countryside Week Celebration

New research from The Prince’s Countryside Fund has revealed that British people love the countryside, yet are clueless about its scale and importance to the economy. The survey was conducted for the first ever National Countryside Week (July 11-18) which celebrated the British countryside and the people who take care of it.

City farms and Community gardens are often referred to as green oases that bring a taste of the countryside into urban areas. And their popularity is no surprise – the Countryside Fund survey found that 93 percent of British people value the countryside for relaxation, fresh air and peace and overwhelmingly agreed that it is important to protect the countryside.

Yet at the same time the general public underestimate the value of the countryside to the economy. More than three quarters of those surveyed incorrectly estimated it as less than £1bn – the true figure is more than £80bn. When questioned about what percentage of the UK’s total area is agricultural land, 60 percent thought it was less than half, when it actually makes up 75 percent.

Launched in July last year by HRH The Prince of Wales, The Prince’s Countryside Fund is a unique collaboration of brands and businesses committed to caring for the people who take care of the countryside. To date, the companies involved in The Prince’s Countryside Fund have contributed over £1million and already nearly £500,000 has been given in grants to 13 projects throughout the countryside including the development of 50 new school farms.

For more information on National Countryside Week and the Prince's countryside fund visit: www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/