• Countryside Bursary winners announced at CLA Game Fair
• Winners get 12 month loan of new Land Rover Freelander 2 vehicles
• Projects include sheep farming, rural broadband connection and support for the Young Farmers Association
• Communities from Cornwall to Scotland to benefit from The Prince's Countryside Fund partnership with Land Rover

Warwickshire, 23 July 2013: Land Rover and The Prince's Countryside Fund today named their first ever successful candidates for the inaugural Land Rover bursary.

The Bursary serves to award the rising stars of rural Britain and recognise their efforts to revitalise British countryside communities. The Freelander 2, and the rest of the Land Rover family, is the natural choice for those who live and work in the Countryside, offering true capability and versatility to tackle all weathers and terrains. 

The announcement was made at the CLA Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, where candidates were officially congratulated by Land Rover ambassador, TV presenter and journalist Phil Spencer, a fellow Land Rover driver and countryside supporter.  In total five successful candidates were chosen, with each receiving a year's loan of a Land Rover Freelander 2 as part of the bursary.

Applicants for the scheme had to undergo a rigorous selection process comprising an initial application, character references and interview, as well as demonstrating that the use of a Freelander 2 for a year would enable them to support their rural community. The successful candidates were those that exuded community spirit, exhibited a genuine need for a Freelander 2 and were the most likely to use the Bursary to make a long‑term, positive difference to the community around them.

The successful candidates were named as:

1.  Sian Curley ‑ Firewood social enterprise ‑ Ullapool, Ross‑shire
2.  Thomas Hartley ‑ Rural broadband ‑ Hornby, Lancaster
3.  Edward Richardson ‑ Farm outreach worker ‑ Penzance, Cornwall
4.  James Rebanks ‑ Herdwick sheep farmer ‑ Penrith, Cumbria
5.  Mark Curr ‑ Farmer and chairman of Cumbria YFC ‑ Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria

Sian Curley, who runs a community‑owned firewood business based in Ullapool, North‑West Scottish Highlands, applied to the Land Rover Bursary scheme for help delivering wood to the local community. The only employee of Lochbroom Woodfuels, wholly owned by the Ullapool Community Trust, Sian serves a remote and sparsely populated area where people suffer fuel poverty with ever‑rising energy costs.

The scheme sources timber from sustainably managed local forests and provides fuel to customers at a fair cost. Sian did not have a vehicle suitable for delivering logs, so the worst hit in the community ‑ those without access to a trailer or pick‑up ‑ were missing out. Her new Bursary Freelander 2 will solve these problems.

Sian commented, "I feel so privileged to be one of the first ever candidates to receive The Prince's Countryside Fund Land Rover Bursary. Living in the remote Highlands means a rugged and reliable off‑road vehicle is really a necessity for my job, and as I was without one my local community was missing out too. I am exceptionally grateful to all involved and can't wait to get behind the wheel."

All bursary winners will document their progress and the positive effect of the Freelander   2 on their business and their community via video diaries over the next 12 months.

Laura Schwab, Marketing Director of Land Rover UK, said: "We are delighted to be have been able to announce the successful candidates today and are sure that the Freelander 2 they receive will make a dramatic difference to their projects. Having reliable and dependable transport to work in the countryside is essential and we are excited to see what the coming year brings for them."

Victoria Harris, Director of The Prince's Countryside Fund said: "The Prince's Countryside Fund was set up to support the people who live and work in the countryside. We had some outstanding entries for the Bursary and heard some very inspiring stories and are sure that those candidates we have selected will go on to make a difference in their rural communities."

Land Rover announced in January 2013 a three‑year partnership with The Prince's Countryside Fund. The partnership involves the support of rural communities and offers help to people living in the countryside dedicated to building a sustainable future in these locations.

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Editors notes

Land Rover

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true breadth of capability across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in approximately 180 global markets.

The Freelander 2 is the smart, practical complement to the modern active lifestyle. There's superb handling and drivability with true Land Rover capability and versatility. The Freelander 2, and the rest of the Land Rover family, is the natural choice for those who live in the Countryside, as they are able to tackle all weathers and all terrains. 

The Prince's Countryside Fund

The Prince's Countryside Fund, founded by HRH The Prince of Wales, who has a long‑held commitment to supporting Britain's hard pressed rural areas, was set up by Business in the Community in July 2010. So far it has given over £2.1 million in grants distributed to over 60 projects across the country, directly benefitting nearly 40,000 people.

Projects that have been funded range from apprenticeships for budding hill farmers, training for young people to gain employment in the rural economy, community transport schemes in isolated rural areas and projects to educate school children about where their food comes from and why the countryside matters. In addition to its normal application process, the Fund also operates an emergency fund for times of need. All the projects focus on supporting the people who care for our countryside and make it tick.

The public can make a donation online at Virgin Giving at the Post Office or by Text. Text PCF to 70300 and a £3 donation will be made to The Prince's Countryside Fund.

For further information on Land Rover log onto www.media.landrover.com  or contact:

Lucy Reynolds                                                          

PR Manager, Land Rover UK                                   
T: 02476 564 161
M: 07801 699928                              
E: lreyno25@landrover.com

Rachel Murray
Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 564 127
M: 07780 494282
E: rmurra73@landrover.com

Kim Palmer
Senior Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 564 129
M: 07795 666169
E: kpalmer@landrover.com

 

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For more information on the Prince's Countryside Fund please visit http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/ or contact:

Victoria Elms
Programme Manager, The Prince's Countryside Fund
T: +44 (0)20 7566 6659
M: +44 (0)7779 222481
E: victoria.elms@bitc.org.uk