Bank gives £1,500 boost to farmers

A benevolent fund to help Staffordshire farmers who fall on hard times has received a £1,500 boost from Barclays Bank.

The bank agreed to match cash raised from a raffle and promise auction at the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution's (RABI) county committee 10th anniversary dinner in March.

The cash was handed over at a special ceremony during the Staffordshire County Show, at the showground near Stafford last week.

Barclays has supported the RABI event for the past 10 years by match funding the proceeds and has helped farming's national charity to raise tens of thousands of pound to assist those suffering hardship in the farming community. The money raised at the annual dinner contributes to the grant payments made to 20 elderly or disabled beneficiaries by RABI in the county.

In addition, last year it paid out over £17,000 in emergency grants in Staffordshire, to help those hit by the summer floods and animal movement restrictions resulting from the outbreaks of foot and mouth and bluetongue.

Speaking at the cheque presentation Barclays assistant agricultural manager Jane Bennett said: "We are delighted to be able to support the important work of RABI in this way, knowing that our contribution is going to help local people."

Barclays is also supporting the RABI Gateway Project, a new initiative that helps low-income farming families develop and gain recognised accreditation for skills that can enable them to earn extra income from beyond the farm business.

The scheme is open to farmers and those working on farms in Staffordshire, which is one of the areas where it is being been piloted.

To date, the most popular request for Gateway grants has been to cover the cost of gaining HGV/LGV licences but joinery, butchery and computer courses are also attracting interest.

Anyone interested in developing their skills and in need of financial support in gaining the necessary qualifications should call the RABI helpline on 01865 727888 for an information pack.