Prince Charles donates funds to new farming mental health charity

Prince Charles has made a “significant” donation to a new charity which aims to tackle mental health in the farming community following the devastating impact of the coronavirus.

In a video message directed at tenants on the Duchy of Cornwall estate, the Prince of Wales admitted he felt “demoralised” to learn how many people working in the food, farming, tourism and hospitality industries had been affected by the pandemic.

“This coronavirus has perhaps reminded us that society works because people do things together for the common good – whether that it key workers keeping us healthy, farmers producing our food, or the supply chain meeting our needs,” he said.

See also: Coronavirus: Prince praises farmers who #FeedTheNation

But Prince Charles said he had been “much heartened” by some of the stories of altruistic behaviour and goodwill around the Duchy estate.

He highlighted the good work of one of the Duchy’s new farming tenants, Sam Stables, in Herefordshire.

Mr Stables, 41, took on an entire flock of sheep from Yorkshire – and lambed them – for a friend stricken by the virus.

Tenant farmer praised

But he also started a charity – We Are Farming Minds – to help people with mental health issues in the farming community.

Mr Stables told Mail Online he had received a letter from the prince, informing him of a significant start-up donation to his charity.

He was inspired to set up the charity after his own mental health battles left him hospitalised for weeks.

Prince Charles said in his video: “As you can imagine, I am extremely proud of him.” 

The prince also praised the Brace of Butchers shop in Poundbury for providing hardship meals for struggling families, and the nearby Duchess of Cornwall pub for delivering hot meals to NHS workers in Dorset hospitals over the Easter weekend.