We are delighted that His Majesty The King, Charles III, is Patron of our charity.
FCN was founded in 1995 by Christopher Jones MBE, who passed away in May 2023.
Baroness Minette Batters was appointed to the role of Honorary President in March 2025.
The charity is governed by a board of trustees, led by Chair Roger Mercer.
Jude McCann has been CEO since 2020. He is based in Northern Ireland and is a dairy farmer. He has extensive leadership experience in the agricultural sector. He was previously CEO at Rural Support. He is also Director of the Oxford Farming Conference.
Roger Mercer is a Staffordshire farmer and businessman and Chairman of Mercer Farming, with interests across farming, food and property. A former Chairman of Harper Adams University and Nuffield International, he is now Chairman of The Farming Community Network. He has a particular interest in family enterprise, stewardship, succession and supporting rural communities through business and charitable activity.
Olivia Seccombe is an award-winning communications and public affairs professional with a broad political knowledge and insight. She is currently Head of Corporate Affairs at British Sugar and was previously Head of External Affairs at NFU.
Rev. Matthew Jeffrey is based in Warwickshire and an Ordained Baptist Minister and CEO of the Arthur Rank Centre, supporting rural churches across the UK. He joined us in 2023.
Giles Bowring is based Lancashire. Giles has been a board member since 2019. He is also a trustee at The Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation and the CLA Charitable Trust. He is also a school governor and a Director of the Settle Hydro Company.
Stuart Roberts is a Hertfordshire based arable and livestock farmer. He was formerly Deputy President of NFU and chairs the Liberal Democrats Food and Farming Working Group.
Amy Cowdell is based in Lincolnshire and is a specialist in agricultural law and currently a Partner at Shakespeare Martineau Agriculture. She joined us in 2023.
Rob Walrond is a Somerset farmer and a Rural Life Advisor at the Diocese of Bath & Wells. Rob joined us in 2021.
Ciara Williams leads the Farmland team at the Church Commissioners for England, overseeing the management of 80,000 acres of agricultural land and property which forms part of the endowment fund to provide long-term financial support for the mission and ministry of the Church of England. Ciara is both a chartered rural surveyor (MRICS) and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), as well as being the current Chair of the CLA Minerals Working Committee. Ciara played an active role in the drafting of the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice and is passionate about rural matters and supporting agri-businesses. Ciara lives on a farming estate in rural Oxfordshire with her partner Tom and their 2 spaniels.
Lucia Slack is a registered Mental Health Nurse and a Non-Medical Prescriber who is currently working as a Clinical Lead for the Community Mental Health Team in North Cumbria. Lucia is also a 2025 Nuffield Farming scholar who lives with her Husband and her family on their tenanted Dairy Farm just outside of Penrith.
Elle Vercoe-Gibson is a committed leader in agricultural sustainability and animal welfare. Currently Agriculture Manager for Waitrose & Partners, she is responsible for delivering the Partnership’s strategy on animal welfare. Her experience is underpinned by her PhD candidacy at UWE, researching sustainable routes-to-market to address farmer wellbeing and animal welfare. With extensive experience on industry standards and governance, she serves as a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Board for the Animal Welfare Research Network and has had other various roles on committees in areas relating to the farming community. Elle is passionate about bringing her strategic experience and research-driven commitment to rural prosperity and wellbeing to the vital work of the Farming Community Network.
Wyn Owen is a freelance consultant with extensive experience of organisational change, leadership and coaching. An experienced board member and chair, he holds two Master’s degrees and is qualified to administer a range of psychometric measures. Wyn is a Nuffield scholar and a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.
Zoe Legg is FCN’s Board Apprentice and a graduate of Harper Adams University.