The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) has announced the availability of emergency grants of £1,000 for farmers who have been severely affected by recent weather.
Unprecedented weather, during which three storms were named by the Met Office, has caused flooding and wind damage across the country.
“After the recent storms, we wanted to ensure the stress caused by their devastating effects and flood damage wasn’t heightened by immediate financial worries,” said Kathleen Chapman, interim director of services at RABI.
Grants can be accessed across the farming community by making an initial call to RABI’s 24/7 helpline on: 0800 188 4444. Applications will be fast-tracked using a simplified application process to ensure monies are available quickly.
“Callers to the helpline will be guided through a short and simple application form by one of our helpful support officers,” said Chapman.
“We stand by our mission that that no farming person should ever have to face adversity alone.”
RABI support
Earlier this year in January, RABI launched two support services for farmers; reason being, worrying levels of mental well-being among the agricultural community identified in the institution’s Big Farming Survey.
These services include in-person mental health counselling and farming-focused mental health training initiatives – both available via the RABI website.
The free, confidential in-person counselling is delivered by British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited counsellors. Anyone feeling they could benefit from talking to a professional can access via RABI’s 24/7 helpline on: 0800 188 4444.
Counselling sessions can take place face-to-face, by telephone or video conferencing and are tailored and led by each individual.
A unique feature of the training is the provision of aftercare for trainees. All who receive training will have access to ongoing support, so no one shoulders the weight of difficult conversations alone.
