8th October 2024 ❘ Legal News and Commentary
Help for farming communities from the RABI
We had the pleasure last week of hearing from Lauren Grimshaw, North West Regional Manager for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, better known to most as the RABI. While most will have heard of it, many don’t quite know what it is the RABI does or how it can help farmers and their families. Even those who have benefitted from RABI support in the past may not know what other services it offers.
Lauren very kindly gave a talk to our Agribusiness team on the wide range of ways that the RABI can help farmers and the ways that we as an organisation can support this. As a business that regularly interacts with both farmers and others involved in the agricultural sector we are well placed to signpost support that might be needed by you or your family. Here are just a few of the many ways that the RABI can help you:
Support during illness:
As is the case with many farming families both in Cumbria and nationwide, the business of running the day-to-day operations of the farm, the decades of knowledge and the tips and tricks learned over a long career, can often belong to just one person, or a small handful of people. When those people become ill, injured, or have to care for ill family members, the business of running the farm can become a heavy burden that can put their health, both mental and physical, at risk. The RABI can help pay for farm relief workers’ support on the farm where the primary farmer is unable to work themselves, or pay for support to allow the farm to keep running while they recover or look after family members.
Far too often members of the farming community put their health at risk to continue running the farm when time off to recover would be better for them in the long run because they simply cannot afford not to work. If you know someone who is struggling or are struggling yourself, reach out to the RABI and see how they can help you.
Household Expenses:
In times where everything seems to be more expensive than it used to be and what you are making doesn’t quite seem to go as far as it should, struggling to pay household bills can be a key factor of stress amongst a community that has already had a trying year. The RABI can help support you or your family with grants to help pay for household expenses such as mortgage payments or domestic utility bills. Where essential household items or disability equipment are also required the RABI can help with this too.
Mental Health support:
The Big Farming Survey carried out in 2020 was a landmark study by the RABI into the issues facing the farming community. It found overwhelmingly that mental health was a key factor not being addressed in the industry and in early 2022 they introduced free mental health services to help tackle the issue. It may be as simple as a phone call to someone who knows the industry and the issues you face, or in person counselling in a place of your choosing. As with most RABI support it can be tailored to you, you just need to take the first step and get in touch
So much more:
Unlike many organisations the RABI can tailor the support it offers to the individual circumstances of you and your family. If you are struggling please reach out and see how the RABI can help.
If you would like more information regarding the above or the RABI in general you can contact them by emailing help@rabi.org.uk or calling the free 24-hour helpline – 0800 188 4444.