Collaborative support: 3 charities tackle farming crises

As pressure mounts on the farming sector, three key rural charities are working together to ensure farmers, crofters and their families receive the support they need to build resilience and navigate continuing challenges.

Agricultural workers can face issues that are economic, environmental, and emotional, and in response, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi), the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rsabi), and Rural Support Northern Ireland (NI) have adapted to provide the holistic support rural communities need.

Farmers Weekly spoke with the chief executives of the three charities, who explained how they are teaming up.

See also: Rabi and Rsabi support farmers during winter with appeal

Collaboration

One of the key themes uniting the charities is their commitment to collaboration.

Alicia Chivers, Rabi chief executive, says: “We can’t manage this alone. We have no shame in borrowing knowledge from one another. It’s about doing the best for our communities.”

The charities work together closely, sharing resources and insights to ensure that each can provide the most effective support for farmers across the UK.

They are united by a common goal – to support the farming community through tough times and provide a network of services that will keep them afloat.

“If one of us is piloting something that works well, we can learn from it, and it becomes a starting point for the others,” says Carol McLaren, chief executive at Rsabi.

For example, Rsabi’s recent flooding support initiative was developed in consultation with Rabi after the latter’s successful response to a storm.

Carol says: “We introduced a flooding fund in October 2023 when we got that really bad [Storm Babet] and a lot of flooding.

“One of the first things we did was pick up the phone to Alicia and her team to learn how their storm initiative had gone.

“Our welfare team was then able to run with it really quickly and confidently because we had the blueprint from Alicia.”

Preventative measures

In addition to crisis responses, the three charities have introduced more preventative measures in recent years.

While financial aid has always been a key service, increasing numbers of farmers are also seeking emotional and practical assistance.

“Demand for counselling has increased substantially across all three charities,” says Carol.

“Farm roads are very long these days compared with even a decade ago. Farmers and crofters are just not seeing the people that would have once provided a sense of community connectivity.”

Supporting many isolated areas across Scotland, Rsabi’s initiatives aim to take care of as many farming people as possible and reduce the emotional toll of farming life.

And since launching at the beginning of 2022, the take-up of Rabi’s mental health counselling has exceeded forecasts exponentially.

“We are still in an incredibly challenging time for our farming communities across the UK, and we don’t see as charities that that is going to change,” says Alicia.

“Farming life is challenging, and we need to ensure that our communities and people are as resilient as possible to cope with these ongoing challenges.”

Thinking about the needs of farmers in Northern Ireland, Kevin Doherty of Rural Support NI emphasises the importance of proactive support.

“We have become more forward-thinking,” he says. “Previously, we were very reactive, but now we must be proactive.”

Looking ahead

Looking to the future, each charity has clear priorities. For Rabi, it’s about continuing to expand its resilience work.

Alicia describes the charity’s strategy as focusing on “three cores of resilience: financial, physical, and mental health”.

Rsabi is expanding its efforts with new roles, including a suicide prevention specialist to further support the mental health of farmers.

Carol notes: “We are still losing too many farmers, and that’s why this initiative is so important”.

Meanwhile, Rural Support NI will continue its emphasis on business support and generational change, especially through its Farmers for Generations programme, a series of awareness sessions to assist Northern Ireland’s farming families in succession planning.

By coming together, Rabi, Rsabi, and Rural Support NI are ensuring that farmers and their families receive the critical support they need – whether in times of crisis, or in preparing for the future.