Dairy Crest Rural Action Award

 For companies who support rural communities

The aim of the Dairy Crest Rural Action Award is to recognise and reward companies that are helping to address issues faced by rural communities in order to maintain a vibrant, sustainable rural economy.

The unprecedented scale and speed of change impacting on Britain’s rural areas is having a profound effect.  There are many social, economic and environmental pressures in our countryside, including:

• Decline in farm income threatening security of supply and increased pressures on farmers to improve their environmental management;
• Lack of affordable housing for local people due to an influx of affluent commuters and resulting exodus of young people;
• Decline of basic services such as access to transport, retail and banking facilities, schools, doctors and dentists surgeries, and broadband. 

By raising the awareness of rural issues, we can bring about positive change in these areas. The Prince’s Rural Action Programme works in partnership with business and other stakeholders to find solutions to some of the challenges facing rural areas.

Many companies are having a positive impact in rural areas. Details of our 2011 Award winner, Bluestone Resorts, and those companies achieving the Big Tick standard can be found on our website.

Does your company make a positive impact in a rural area?
Whether you support enterprise or the provision of services to rural areas, work with farmers or use suppliers that operate in rural areas, we encourage you to come forward and tell your story.

Whether your impact is economic, social or environmental, we are looking to share your success and highlight organisations like yours that make a real difference to the prosperity of our rural communities.