President and chosen Charity of the Year for 2022
The South of England Agricultural Society announced that Elizabeth Buchanan will return as the charity’s President. Elizabeth was President in 2020, but the pandemic meant working together was very limited so the charity made the choice to invite her back for 2022.
For 2022, Elizabeth has selected The Prince’s Countryside Fund as the Society’s charity of the year. The charity exists to improve the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life.
The Fund provides more than £1m in grant and initiative funding each year, supporting projects across the UK that help to provide a secure future for the countryside. This includes The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, a highly successful business skills training scheme which offers advice to family farm businesses in 15 locations each year.
This year it is operating in the High Weald AONB. The Fund also commissions research into issues affecting farming families and rural communities, acts as an advocate for the countryside by bringing together individuals and businesses to tackle current challenges, and helps communities in crisis through their Emergency Fund.
South of England Agricultural Society
President, Elizabeth Buchanan said, “Having visited the showground since my childhood and shown our Sussex Cattle there on many occasions, it is a huge honour and privilege to once again be appointed President of the South of England Agricultural Society.
The Society sits at the heart of the farming community in the South East of England and, as agricultural policy undergoes its greatest change in seventy years, is perfectly placed to raise awareness and support through its shows and other charitable activities. I am enormously grateful that The Prince’s Countryside Fund will be their Charity of the Year.”
The South of England Agricultural Society funds and supports agricultural education and promote countryside learning across the southern counties of Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Berkshire.
Their support of The Prince’s Countryside Fund as their charity of the year throughout 2022 will include raising awareness through their network of members and supporters and providing them with an opportunity to fundraise at events throughout the year.
The Prince’s Countryside Fund and Deputy President
Corrie Ince, Show Director of The South of England Agricultural Society commented, “We’re absolutely delighted that Elizabeth has accepted the role of President again. Her boundless enthusiasm and passion for the land and our cause is second to none.
Her selection of The Prince’s Countryside Fund as our charity of the year couldn’t be more fitting – supporting land-based industries and people with an interest or involvement in agriculture, horticulture and the countryside is central to our overall objective.”
Alongside Elizabeth, Tim Waters, Chairman of Mid Sussex Timber will be the Society’s Deputy President for 2022 in recognition of his support to the Society in different roles for over 40 years.
