Freephone Helpline:
    0808 281 9490

    Donate via
    Just Giving

     
    • About us
      • About us
      • Real life stories
      • How we raise our money
      • Our history
      • Our organisation
      • Reports
      • Meet the team
      • Job vacancies
    • Need help?
      • Need help?
      • Get in touch
      • Support for working families
      • Helping the elderly & those unable to work
      • Online mental wellbeing service
      • Training grants
      • Useful links
    • Our care homes
      • Our care homes
      • Beaufort House
      • Manson House
    • News & events
      • National news
      • Regional news
      • National events
      • Regional events
      • Newsletters
    • Want to help?
      • Want to help?
      • Fundraise for us
      • Join a committee
      • Group & corporate support
      • Keep it safe & legal
      • Buy Christmas cards & calendars
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Gift Aid
      • Remember us in your will
      • Gifts in memory
      • Christmas hamper campaign
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
    Need support? Call 0808 281 9490

    Donate via Just Giving

    Main Menu
    • About us
      • About us
      • Real life stories
      • How we raise our money
      • Our history
      • Our organisation
      • Reports
      • Meet the team
      • Job vacancies
    • Need help?
      • Need help?
      • Get in touch
      • Support for working families
      • Helping the elderly & those unable to work
      • Online mental wellbeing service
      • Training grants
      • Useful links
    • Our care homes
      • Our care homes
      • Beaufort House
      • Manson House
    • News & events
      • National news
      • Regional news
      • National events
      • Regional events
      • Newsletters
    • Want to help?
      • Want to help?
      • Fundraise for us
      • Join a committee
      • Group & corporate support
      • Keep it safe & legal
      • Buy Christmas cards & calendars
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Gift Aid
      • Remember us in your will
      • Gifts in memory
      • Christmas hamper campaign
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
    Need support? Call 0808 281 9490

    Main Menu
    • About us
      • About us
      • Real life stories
      • How we raise our money
      • Our history
      • Our organisation
      • Reports
      • Meet the team
      • Job vacancies
    • Need help?
      • Need help?
      • Get in touch
      • Support for working families
      • Helping the elderly & those unable to work
      • Online mental wellbeing service
      • Training grants
      • Useful links
    • Our care homes
      • Our care homes
      • Beaufort House
      • Manson House
    • News & events
      • National news
      • Regional news
      • National events
      • Regional events
      • Newsletters
    • Want to help?
      • Want to help?
      • Fundraise for us
      • Join a committee
      • Group & corporate support
      • Keep it safe & legal
      • Buy Christmas cards & calendars
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Gift Aid
      • Remember us in your will
      • Gifts in memory
      • Christmas hamper campaign
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
    Need support? Call 0808 281 9490

    Donate via Just Giving

    Main Menu
    • About us
      • About us
      • Real life stories
      • How we raise our money
      • Our history
      • Our organisation
      • Reports
      • Meet the team
      • Job vacancies
    • Need help?
      • Need help?
      • Get in touch
      • Support for working families
      • Helping the elderly & those unable to work
      • Online mental wellbeing service
      • Training grants
      • Useful links
    • Our care homes
      • Our care homes
      • Beaufort House
      • Manson House
    • News & events
      • National news
      • Regional news
      • National events
      • Regional events
      • Newsletters
    • Want to help?
      • Want to help?
      • Fundraise for us
      • Join a committee
      • Group & corporate support
      • Keep it safe & legal
      • Buy Christmas cards & calendars
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Gift Aid
      • Remember us in your will
      • Gifts in memory
      • Christmas hamper campaign
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
    Need support? Call 0808 281 9490

    Main Menu
    • About us
      • About us
      • Real life stories
      • How we raise our money
      • Our history
      • Our organisation
      • Reports
      • Meet the team
      • Job vacancies
    • Need help?
      • Need help?
      • Get in touch
      • Support for working families
      • Helping the elderly & those unable to work
      • Online mental wellbeing service
      • Training grants
      • Useful links
    • Our care homes
      • Our care homes
      • Beaufort House
      • Manson House
    • News & events
      • National news
      • Regional news
      • National events
      • Regional events
      • Newsletters
    • Want to help?
      • Want to help?
      • Fundraise for us
      • Join a committee
      • Group & corporate support
      • Keep it safe & legal
      • Buy Christmas cards & calendars
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Gift Aid
      • Remember us in your will
      • Gifts in memory
      • Christmas hamper campaign
    • Contact us
      • Contact us
    Open pages of a book
    New chapter for Bedale’s popular book fairs
    20/03/2019
    Team Kingham wins Bedfordshire clay shoot
    25/03/2019

    A year in the life of a farmer’s wife

    20/03/2019
    Categories
    • Latest News
    • National News
    • North East Latest News
    Tags
    • Northumberland

    Sally Urwin

    Cover of 'A Farmer's Diary - A Year at High House Farm'‘A Farmer’s Diary – A Year at High House Farm’, written by farmer’s wife Sally Urwin, will be published by Profile Books on April 4.

    Sally and her husband Steve own High House Farm in Northumberland, a home they share with many, many sheep. The land, which has been in Steve’s family for generations, is the perfect setting for Sally’s honest account of farming life, including the highs and lows of working the land.

    In the summer of 2018, Sally and Steve sought help from R.A.B.I. Sally’s diary entries illustrate how even the hardest working farmers can sometimes face struggles that test them to their limits.

    Sunday June 3, 2018

    We’re not the only ones feeling the pinch. Poor grass growth, big heating bills and no money coming in from crops or sheep has pushed many local farmers to the brink. At least the kids have free school meals and Granny and Granddad to help them out with uniforms and shoes. In desperation we ring R.A.B.I. It’s embarrassing to have to ask for help, but we’re not sure what else to do.

    Thursday June 7, 2018

    Today we’re nervous as someone from R.A.B.I is visiting the house. Once the kids are at school we gather our bank statements and bills together and wait for the appointment, biting our nails and drinking endless cups of tea. When the R.A.B.I rep arrives he’s very nice and sympathetic. He carefully goes through our accounts and gives a short outline about how he can help.

    R.A.B.I doesn’t assist with business finances, but will help us with our household bills, such as heating oil and clothes for the kids. He’s lovely and discreet and I babble onto him about how hard lambing has been, and farming in general. He nods and says all the right things, but when he leaves I walk into the lounge to find Steve siting on the sofa quietly, his head in his hands. I know what he’s thinking. Steve prides himself on being able to provide for his family and the knowledge that he’s not making enough money to even pay for our weekly food bill hits him very hard.

    We’ve done everything we can, stretched finances, invested wisely, cut back all our expenses but we just can’t make ends meet. We sit in silence next to each other, each one with our own thoughts, until it’s time to go back out to check the sheep.

    Monday June 11, 2018

    R.A.B.I has sent us a letter. They have enclosed a small cheque to ‘assist with the purchase of heating oil and help with further household bills’. We are very grateful. It feels mortifying asking for help and I don’t suppose anyone knows how much we struggle with day to day costs. From the outside, we look on an even keel. We run a car, the kids are in clean clothes and have enough to eat, but it’s all a very thin veneer. I never thought we’d have to turn to charity to survive and I feel a curdling mixture of gratitude and shame as I look at the cheque.

    For more from Sally, follow her on Twitter @PintSizedFarmer. For more information about the book, please contact Anna-Marie Fitzgerald at anna-marie@profilebooks.com / 020 7841 7841 or Valentina Zanca at valentina@profilebooks.com / 020 7841 6306

    Pictured above is Sally Urwin. Photo courtesy of Paul Norris.

    Share

    Related posts

    Alicia lightened
    13/04/2021

    RABI’s online wellbeing service introduces Welsh speaking counsellors


    Read more
    Dan Whitbread
    24/03/2021

    £100,000 donation from NFU Mutual Charitable Trust


    Read more
    22/01/2021

    The Big Farming Survey is live


    Read more

    Online mental wellbeing service

    Update

    Our freephone helpline is operating. If you need support during these uncertain times, please don't hesitate to call us on
    0808 281 9490

    For general enquiries, please contact us on 01865 724 931 or info@rabi.org.uk

    Click here for more information.

    Can you support us?

    Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the amount of income we can generate has fallen. We need your support now more than ever. Every donation goes towards helping people in the farming community when they need it most.

    Donate

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Keep up to date with latest news and events with RABI News

    Subscribe

    Latest news from RABI

    • Alicia lightened0
      RABI’s online wellbeing service introduces Welsh speaking counsellors
      13/04/2021
    • Dan Whitbread0
      £100,000 donation from NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
      24/03/2021
    • RABI Christmas card succes
      Christmas card sale success
      17/02/2021

    Quick Links

    • Need help? Contact us
    • Make a donation
    • About us
    • Latest news
    • Job vacancies
    • Privacy & cookie policy

    Upcoming Events

    Click here to view our upcoming events

    Make a donation

    Call: 01865 724 931
    Download a donation form
    Donate via Just Giving

    Contact us

    RABI
    Shaw House
    27 West Way
    Oxford
    OX2 0QH

    Telephone: 01865 724 931
    Email: info@rabi.com
    Helpline: 0808 281 9490

    Registered Charity No: 208858

    © 2021 - R.A.B.I. All Rights Reserved.
        This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Read More Accept Cookie settings
        Privacy & Cookies Policy

        Privacy Overview

        This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Some cookies are categorised as ‘Necessary’ for the basic functionalities of the website to work and these are stored on your browser. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent – you can opt-out below. Note that opting-out of ‘Non-necessary’ cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
        Necessary
        Always Enabled

        Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

        SAVE & ACCEPT