Female farmer and founder of Community Interest Company (CIC), Milly Fyfe from Northamptonshire, has received a Diamond Education Grant to expand her food education business and further support her local community.
Milly, 40, now offers parents and her local community workshops to learn about foraging at The Countryside Kitchen. She provides individuals with ways to reduce food costs, improve wellbeing and lessen reliance on ultra-processed food.
Grant funding enabled Milly to undertake training delivered by Charnwood Foraging, equipping her with the knowledge and confidence to teach safe foraging practices and cooking techniques.
From making cordial to jams and chutneys, foraging is an accessible way for families to learn more about the ‘free food’ available on their doorstep while passing valuable skills on to younger generations.
The training marks a new chapter for Milly and her CIC, as she grows her community- work around food education and sustainability. Alongside community workshops, her business now offers foraging experiences to corporate businesses too as part of a social enterprise model. Fees from these sessions go directly to sponsoring workshops for schools and community groups, ensuring wider access for those who otherwise might not be able to take part.
Milly said: “This grant has been truly transformational. I have been able to access learning from Jo at Charnwood Foraging and this, along with other resources I’ve been able to access, has sparked new ideas for how I can further develop our not-for-profit social enterprise, The Countryside Kitchen.
“I now see a clear pathway to expanding our educational offer by including foraging walks and workshops alongside our existing “grow, cook, eat” sessions – for both the community and for corporates. I am already receiving interest from different groups wanting me to lead these, which demonstrates the demand and the potential community impact of this new skillset.”
Milly sustained a spinal cord injury during childbirth, an experience that has significantly impacted her daily life. She felt that the training, made possible from the Diamond Education Grant, would not only support the local community but it would provide her with a focus and distraction from her chronic pain.
Alongside Milly, the Diamond Education Grant, an organisation set up by leading women’s charity Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) gave 21 other women grants in 2025. The grants are aimed at those who had faced barriers or those who would experience the biggest impact.
Now in its 54th year of activity, the Diamond Education Grant has opened its applications for this academic year to encourage as many women and girls as possible to apply. It aims to help other women like Milly to achieve their aspirations.
Gillie O’Rourke, President of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland, said: “While the Diamond Education Grant, now its own charity, runs parallel to SIGBI, it’s something our members champion annually. Resonating with the Soroptimist vision, we believe that every woman deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential, regardless of her circumstances.
“It’s one of our charitable objects as an organisation. We believe universal access to safe, inclusive and high-quality education and training for women and girls is a fundamental human right as enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights. Yet many women face barriers that prevent them from pursuing higher education or securing meaningful employment.”
Milly added: “On a personal level, the course has had a profound impact on my wellbeing, and I would like to sincerely thank the Diamond Educational Grant and SIGBI for making this opportunity possible. Your support has given me the confidence, tools, and inspiration to take this forward and integrate foraging into the heart of The Countryside Kitchen.”
SIGBI, which also has consultancy status at the UN, believes that every woman and girl, both nationally and globally, has the right to access education.
The Diamond Education Grant has issued 255 grants in the last decade to the value of approximately £255,000 in total. This has allowed numerous women to secure new qualifications, boost their career prospects and aid their economic independence.
The closing date for applications for this year’s Diamond Education Grant is 15 April 2026. Apply now: https://sigbi.org/what-we-do/our-charities/deg/