Hub Offers Support For Farmers At Great Yorkshire Show

Dedicated charities offering practical, emotional and financial support to farming families have created a one-stop Farming Help Hub at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.
Providing a convenient call-in point on the Showground in Harrogate during all four days of England’s premier agricultural show, the Hub makes it easy to drop by and chat with people who understand farming communities.

Farmers and family members are welcome to visit the Hub to find out about the support offered by a range of charities that are partners of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network (YRSN).
YRSN is supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. It brings together statutory and voluntary agencies to promote and provide sources of practical, financial, medical and emotional help to the farming community.

The Farming Help Hub is located on Seventh Avenue next to the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs pavilion. Here, visitors can speak to:

• The Addington Fund – specialising in emergency response on farm after disease outbreak or prolonged inclement weather and rural housing including retirement homes for farmers and affordable houses to keep those engaged in rural jobs living in their preferred location. It also runs a young entrants scheme using legacy farms and helps qualifying farmer workers with the purchase of essential household goods. At the Show, Addington celebrates its 20th anniversary with the launch of a Friends of Addington fundraiser. Look out for vintage tractor ‘Jack’ as a focal point of the stand. The Addington Fund can be contacted by calling 01926 620135, or email enquiries@addingtonfund.org.uk
• The Farming Community Network (FCN) supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times. The charity has a network of over 400 volunteers across England and Wales, many of whom are involved in farming, or have close links with agriculture, and therefore have a great understanding of the issues that farmers, farm workers and farming families regularly face. FCN’s local volunteers provide free, confidential, pastoral and practical support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related. In addition, FCN runs a confidential national helpline (03000 111 999) and e-helpline (help@fcn.org.uk).
• Farm Safety Foundation (aka Yellow Wellies) was set up in 2015 to preserve and protect the physical and mental wellbeing of young farmers and young people moving into agriculture (aged 16-40). By challenging and changing attitudes to risk-taking and poor safety behaviours in the next generation of farmers, the charity aims to reduce the number of life-changing and life-ending injuries in an industry with the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK. Through an ambitious education programme, research and national campaigns such as Farm Safety Week and Mind Your Head, the Foundation is tackling the stigma around risk-taking and poor mental health, ensuring that that next generation of farmers is resilient and equipped with smart strategies and specific skills to live well and farm well www.yellowwellies.org
• Forage Aid which coordinates the goodwill of the agricultural community to help UK farms hit by extreme weather events or Acts of God. This help is often in the form of emergency forage and/or bedding delivered to wherever it is needed. The forage and bedding are donated by fellow farmers from across the UK, the haulage is also offered voluntarily, and the charity’s regional coordinators work to bring these together and assist on the ground. Email info@forageaid.org.uk or call 07967 219991.
• Samaritans, who are raising awareness that Samaritans are available to listen, without judgement and in confidence, to anyone who is having a difficult time, at any time, day or night. Samaritans are particularly keen to reach out to rural communities, where isolation and reluctance to talk or seek help is often the norm. Samaritans have helped many people from these communities in the past and know how beneficial this has been. Take-away literature on the stand includes a guide of listening tips. Call Samaritans in confidence on freephone number 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

In addition to the charities at the Hub, RABI (the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) is present nearby on Avenue O (stand no. 197). RABI has provided guidance, financial support and practical care to farming people for generations. Tailored to individual needs, this confidential support is available via RABI’s free helpline 0808 281 9490, through referral or via www.rabi.org.uk

Earlier this year RABI carried out the largest survey of its kind the ‘Big Farming Survey’ looking at the same topics across the whole farming community in England and Wales. There were 15,500 responses and the findings will be shared in the Autumn. RABI will be carrying out a straw poll of farmers visiting the Great Yorkshire Show to gain a quick overview of their thoughts ahead of the release of the survey findings.

Christine Ryder, Chair of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network who farms with her husband Chris at Blubberhouses in Nidderdale said: “It is so important to get the message out there that there is a lot of support available for the farming community. As farmers, we are fortunate to have a range of charities who play a very active role in our communities. During a period of great upheaval for our industry, whatever the challenges that lie ahead, you are not alone. Do call into the Hub and have a chat with a friendly face.”

Earlier this year, the Yorkshire Rural Support Network produced farmer-friendly videos with grant funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund to share health and wellbeing tips. The videos can be viewed at www.yas.co.uk. The Network ordinarily offers free health checks for farmers and their families at auctions marts and trade events throughout the year. At the Great Yorkshire Show, health advice is available to the rural community at the Field Nurse stand (no. 298, Fifth Avenue).

ENDS

***MEDIA OP: Interviews available at the Farming Help Hub (Seventh Avenue)
at 11am on Wednesday 14th July with Christine Ryder and Kate Dale of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network, Bill Young, CEO of The Addington Fund, Samaritan Alison Lumley, Forage Aid founder Andrew Ward, FCN Yorkshire Co-ordinator Lisa Cardy, Alicia Chivers, CEO of RABI and Sophie Marsh, Farm Safety Foundation. Meet at Jack the Vintage Tractor on the Addington stand***

EDITOR’S NOTES

• The Yorkshire Rural Support Network (YRSN) is a partnership of Yorkshire statutory and voluntary agencies that together promote and provide sources of help, whether practical, financial, medical or emotional.
• The YRSN is supported by registered charity, Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), which supports and promotes the farming industry through health care, business, education and funding scientific research into rural affairs.
• YAS is supported by its family of businesses including Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park as well as events Great Yorkshire Show, Countryside Live and Springtime Live.

CONTACT: Ben Barnett, Charitable Activities Manager: benb@yas.co.uk Direct Line: 01423 546230

Christine Ryder, Chair of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network