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. news R A B I SUMMER 2014 THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION Floods - we’re making a difference Page 3 Annual meeting Pages 4-5 SUPPORTING FARMING FAMILIES WWW.RABI.ORG.UK From the chairman The summer show season is well underway, with R.A.B.I. committees attending agricultural shows around the country. We’ve had a damp start and In this edition it’s a credit to all our supporters that they continue to man our stands come rain or shine to help raise awareness of our work and funds. I write this in the first week in June - national volunteers’ week – not long after our annual meeting in May which provided an opportunity for trustees to show their appreciation of the work National news volunteers undertake on the charity’s behalf. Our Vice President Lord Plumb presented prizes to 13 individuals and committees for a range of Pages 3 - 9 achievements, from the committee which made the most progress in 2013 (Derbyshire), to the committee which raised the most money (Kent), and the committee which arranged the most successful off-farm event (Cumbria). Congratulations to all our award winners and thank you again to our committee members, corporate Feature - Beaufort House supporters, individual fundraisers, trustees and members of staff whose work enables us to reach and Pages 10 - 11 support people in the farming community in need. Our speakers at the meeting showed why our work is as important today as when we were founded 154 years ago. We were honoured to hear from NFU President and former R.A.B.I. trustee Meurig Raymond who spoke about the strong ties between R.A.B.I. and the NFU. We also heard from Somerset farmer James Winslade, who described Regional news movingly the difficulties that even the best- managed farm business can come up against, in Pages 12 - 19 his case the floods earlier this year. Welfare officer Suzie Paton spoke about the help we have already Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution given and will continue to give for months to come. We are a welfare charity which helps farming people in This is a bumper newsletter, with 20 pages of news financial difficulty. Every year we support around 2,000 about what is happening in the charity. There is individuals and families and give more than £2 million in grants. much to celebrate, with more and more people We also offer practical help and always work in confidence, wanting to support our work to help us make a with compassion and discretion. positive difference to those who need help. Registered office: Shaw House, 27 West Way, Oxford OX2 0QH It was a source of great pride to the trustees and Freephone helpline: 0300 303 7373 staff that several people at the annual meeting General enquiries: 01865 724931 said that what they most appreciated about their Fax: 01865 202025 Email: [email protected] involvement with R.A.B.I. was that they feel part of Website: www.rabi.org.uk a family with a common cause. Whether you are Twitter: www.twitter.com/rabicharity a supporter or a beneficiary, there can be no finer Facebook: www.facebook.com/royalagriculturalbenevolentinstitution compliment, and long may it continue. Registered charity number 208858 Patron Her Majesty The Queen President His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester R.A.B.I. News is published quarterly by R.A.B.I. and edited by Philippa Spackman, telephone 01865 811581, email [email protected] Cover image of members of the Derbyshire committee at Tissington Hall by Ruth Downing, Rural Pictures. 2 Nati nal news The floods: together we’re making a difference Farmers are still counting the cost humbling and shows the difference of the winter’s floods, butthanks to we can make with our supporters’ public generosity, R.A.B.I. has been help. “If it hadn’t been for R.A.B.I., I able to help many families deal with wouldn’t be here today,” he said. the crisis. To everyone who has helped us make It was the wettest winter in England a difference by making a donation since 1766, with more than 15 inches and/or arranging an event to help us of rain falling in three months. This led give additional support in this year’s to unprecedented water levels in floods, thank you. Somerset, and flooding in other parts We received donations from the of the country, including Cumbria North east regional manager Sally Prince of Wales’ Countryside Fund, and Kent, along the rivers Severn and Conner is pictured at the Northern NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, and Thames, and in East Anglia. Farmer Awards, where she was many agricultural societies and In Somerset, livestock are now back presented with a cheque for £500 auction marts, as well as NFU and YFC on most farms after being evacuated, groups, businesses, local councils. “By May this year we had given churches, newspapers, charitable but it will be months before houses £70,000 in grants to 19 families in are habitable, fields are cleared and trusts and individual donors. Other Somerset alone. This equates to a people arranged fundraising events, cropped, and livelihoods recover. total of 76 people in the county who Help will therefore be needed for a some of which you can read about on have received funds from R.A.B.I., the pages 12-19. long time, not least in the autumn majority solely because of flooding.” when farmers have little to sell and incomes are reduced even further. The better news is the tremendous response from members of the public Chief executive Paul Burrows said: “It and farming organisations across the has been a hectic time for R.A.B.I. and country who spontaneously raised the other organisations involved in the funds to help us respond to the crisis. relief effort. Because we work in confidence, people “We had staff temporarily based in who give to R.A.B.I. may never know Sedgemoor Livestock Market to give how grateful the people we help are. any help they could, financial or One farmer we supported in last year’s otherwise. We said from the beginning snows was interviewed again for BBC East Midlands regional manager Milly that the impact of the flooding would Radio 4’s World at One programme to Wastie is pictured above with Nick generate calls for assistance long after see how he was doing one year on. the crisis had supposedly abated, and Hansen, chairman of the surveyors we were right. What Christopher Dean said was RECAP group, who donated £2,000 Mary Berry is the surprise ingredient at R.A.B.I.’s annual meeting Guests at R.A.B.I.’s annual meeting at The Manor in Oxford in May were thrilled to see cookery star Mary Berry, who was dining at the hotel and popped in to see her friend R.A.B.I. trustee Carol Rymer. Carol (second from right) is pictured here with Mary Berry, chairman Chris Riddle (left) and chief executive Paul Burrows Turn to pages 4 and 5 for a full report of the meeting. HELPLINE 0300 303 7373 3 Annual meeting NFU president praises ‘strong links’ with R.A.B.I. challenges and opportunities facing about the impact of the floods on his farming and the importance of R.A.B.I.’s and neighbouring farms earlier this year. work. Regional welfare officer Suzie Paton spoke about one particularly busy day at He said: “R.A.B.I. and the NFU have Sedgemoor Livestock Market - the focus long histories which are as relevant today as when they were founded for the relief effort - when she helped 11 more than 100 years ago…. I’m very families, many in despair. proud of the strong links between us.” She said: “Most of all, I listened, because Mr Raymond added: “In 2007 when everyone needs to tell their story. I saw we negotiated the last round of the the distress, frustration and anger. The Common Agricultural Policy the value of difference I was able to make wasn’t food produced in the UK was £16 billion the paperwork, grants or advice. It Around 200 supporters, regional a year, whereas it is now £25 billion. But was being able to put a reassuring arm committee members, trustees and the headlines mask variations in sectors, around the shoulder and give a simple staff attended R.A.B.I.’s annual for example the 40% fall in the profitability message - we can help.” meeting at The Manor in Oxford on 14 of dairy farming since 2011/12. As a May. R.A.B.I.’s annual awards to supporters result, R.A.B.I.’s work will still be needed and committee members for their Guest speaker was NFU President and for many years to come.” achievements in 2013 were presented former R.A.B.I. trustee Meurig Raymond The meeting also heard from Somerset at the annual meeting by R.A.B.I. Vice (pictured above) who spoke about the farmer James Winslade, who spoke President Lord Plumb. Award winners for 2013 Photographs by Kevin Milner www.kevinmilnercountryside.co.uk The Dennis Brown Shield (organisation, most money and/or awareness) - committee, helped by his wife Mary. company or non-YFC club which Gloucestershire committee. raised the most money) - Barclays. Nigel and Janet Rome - for their The Bryn Davies Bowl (individual, support over many years, including The Beaufort Shield (committee which organisation, company or club in raising funds at lambing days at their raised the most money by their own Wales which made the greatest farm.