Farming charity Rabi’s Return to School grant is back

Farming charity the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi) has confirmed that its Return to School grants will be available to farming families from Monday 8 July.

The rapid response cost-of-living campaign is now in its third year, and has provided about £2m of financial support to farming families across England, Wales and Northern Ireland since its launch in 2022.

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Eligible parents and guardians can apply for a fixed sum of £200 a child for up to six school-aged children (four to 16 years), with applications open to both working and non-working farming families.

Rabi director of services Caron Whaley said that the grants help to combat a number of factors facing farming families.

“The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the rising prices of school uniforms and supplies, has significantly impacted the finances of many families across the UK,” she said.

“Our Return to School grant is committed to ensuring that thousands of schoolchildren across our farming community are equipped and ready to thrive when they return to their classrooms in September.”

The grant scheme is designed to alleviate some of the pressures of back-to-school costs, but also serves as a gateway to provide more members of the farming community with access to Rabi’s practical, financial and emotional services.

Figures from 2023 show that half of all grant applicants were new to Rabi, with many going on to access further support from the charity.

More information can be found on the Rabi website.