This grant has enabled Bembridge Flower Farm to strengthen the Island’s rural economy by growing and selling locally cultivated, high-quality cut flowers. Offering a vibrant, sustainable alternative to imported stock, it enhances local floristry with seasonal blooms rich in colour, scent, and character.

This project created 1 new job on the Isle of Wight.

“I would say that without the grant funding the project would not be so advanced. I have managed to install infrastructure more robustly and it has enabled me to fund essential parts of the business a lot quicker.” 

This grant has enabled Arc to replace and upgrade the doors and windows in their Ecology and Eco-Engineering Learning Hub. This investment enhances the learning environment, supports educational programmes, and strengthens their capacity to teach key skills.

This project safeguarded 4 jobs on the Isle of Wight.

“The Rural Fund investment in our premises has protected both our jobs and our work programmes, both of which were being threatened by rapidly deteriorating conditions.”

This grant has enabled The Garlic Farm to construct a single-story steel framed and clad ‘lean-to’ extension to their existing warehouse. This includes a new packing room and an open-ended ‘Goods Out’ area that addresses the growing demands of the business.

This project created 3 new jobs and safeguarded 8 jobs on the Isle of Wight.

“The IW Rural Fund grant has enabled us to confidently grow our operation knowing that we are going to be able to provide the service, efficiency and improved working environment to deliver our products at the level of quality we strive for.”

This grant has enabled Gatcombe Estate Vineyard to establish the capacity and efficiency of the estate’s wine production processes.  This includes winery equipment such as a hydraulic basket press, stainless steel tank and crusher and de-stemmer. 

This project created 8 new jobs and safeguarded 2 jobs on the Isle of Wight.

“The grant has been paramount to setting up the grape processing at Gatcombe Vineyard to enable the Estate to process its own grapes, to avoid having to transport them to the mainland, meaning the wider impact of the grape processing also stays on the island.” 

This grant enabled the IW Steam Railway to construct a brand-new children’s play facility and contributed towards the purchase of the historic Ashey Train Station. This project has actively contributed to strengthening the role of this educational charity in supporting the Isle of Wight’s visitor economy and heritage sector, enhancing its impact through community engagement, cultural enrichment, and place-based learning.

This project created 3 new jobs on the Isle of Wight. 

This grant has enabled Landscape Therapy to purchase a mobile saw mill and associated tools, to be used on the Isle of Wight. This adds value to current and future woodland and countryside management projects and encourages others to manage their own land.  

This project created 1 new job on the Isle of Wight.

“This has allowed us to be more creative in our work extending the service that we offer to our existing and new clients”

This grant has enabled Pennethorne Park Farm Dairy to process their own milk directly on their farm. The process begins with milking the cows, then transferring the milk straight into a batch pasteuriser, bottling it in reusable glass bottles, and distributing it to local customers and shops. The funding supported the purchase of key equipment including a bottle washer, water heater, and batch pasteuriser.

This project safeguarded 1 job on the Isle of Wight.

This grant has enabled Royal IOW Agricultural Society to construct a livestock collection centre on the Island and purchase a refrigerated livestock lorry. This allows the team to transport livestock from the Isle of Wight to the mainland abattoir. Returning with the processed carcasses and delivering them to the Island’s wholesalers, farm shops, butchers, and smallholders. Overall, this enhances efficiency and viability of local farmers, smaller livestock holdings and provides benefit to larger livestock producers.

This project created 3 new jobs and safeguarded 63 jobs on the Isle of Wight.

“The feedback about the building, received from livestock farmers and the general public has been very positive, at a time when the sector is under great pressure. For many the new building this has been important development.”

This grant has enabled Wight Knuckle Brewery to produce a visitor centre and purchase bar equipment, supporting the overall development of the site. The project has supported them in creating a destination that attracts visitors to the farm and enables direct interaction with customers through events, brewery tours, brewery tastings, and educational activities.

This project created 3 new jobs and safeguarded 2 jobs on the Isle of Wight.

This grant has enabled Wight Vets Ltd to advance and expand on the services that they offer to clients and patients on the Isle of Wight. This includes Laparoscopic (keyhole surgery), Electro surgery, Dental X-rays and Tonometry. 

This project created 1 new job on the Isle of Wight.

“This grant has enabled us to invest in new equipment, expand the services our practice provides, increase the revenue generated and create two new highly skilled permanent positions within our team.”

This grant has enabled Wight Whisky to purchase key production equipment, which included barrels and an additional still, used to distil their own malt spirt and begin the 3-year maturation process. This project supports Wight Whisky’s mission to establish a distinctive, independent whisky distillery that celebrates the Island’s unique terroir. Through a strong sense of place, the distillery aims to enhance the Island’s food and drink tourism offer.

This project created 2 new jobs and safeguarded 1 job on the Isle of Wight.

“The Rural Fund has been instrumental in allowing us to buy capital equipment to produce our whisky.”