RORY PLEDGES TO BUILD ON BEWCASTLE FUND SUCCESS

Rory Stewart MP has visited constituents in Bewcastle to discuss the success of the ‘Bewcastle Fund’, the £10,000 fund donated personally to the community by HRH Prince Charles, to support farmers in the Roadhead area. The local MP has pledged to continue supporting the community in its numerous projects.  Details of the grant, made in 2014, were made public recently. Since its inception, the fund has supported a travel bursary for local young farmers to attend Newton Rigg, a subsidised chemical spraying course to help farmers in precision-spraying techniques, and two major fundraising balls, which have helped to replenish the initial fund, creating further opportunities.

Rory met with local farmer Steve Pattinson and Bewcastle parish council clerk Catherine Leach at Kinkry Hill Farm to learn more about the scheme, and to pledge further support.

He said: “The challenges facing farmers at the moment are many, and farming communities in the far north of the constituency, such as in and around Roadhead, are finding things especially hard. The Prince of Wales’ recognition that the problems are real, was very welcome. Steve and his committee are doing a brilliant job of making this money sustainable, recycling it by fundraising at the excellent annual ball, which has been a huge success. I would now like to help Steve and his fellow farmers look at branding produce from the area, which is one of the wildest and most beautiful parts of Penrith and The Border.”