The five agricultural charities previously involved in the Farming Help alliance have announced the formation of a new National Forum of Agricultural Charities.
Membership to the new forum will be open to national organisations offering support to farming communities across the UK, which is essential for extending the reach to more farming people.
The forum will provide a platform for member charities to meet regularly to network and share knowledge and expertise and consider how they can best work alongside each other to secure the best possible support for agricultural communities.
Alicia Chivers, chief executive of RABI, explains this important step:
“Having the opportunity to meet peer-to-peer with the chief executives of the other farming charities is incredibly valuable. It allows us all to better understand the issues our community is facing at a national level.”
With each of the charities providing a unique range of services to the agricultural community, the forum provides an opportunity to build relationships between organisations and share best practice.
“Opening up the forum to a greater breadth of agricultural charities will further enhance our knowledge and understanding, to ensure we take a cohesive approach to the challenges farming people face,” Jude McCann, chief executive of FCN explains.
“We are all working towards a common goal – to provide accessible support to the farming community, at a time and place when it’s needed most,” concludes Mr McCann.
The new forum will operate in addition to the existing Farming Help alliance, which is being taken forward in England and Wales by The Addington Fund, FCN and Forage Aid, to develop a more extensive and formalised relationship. The Farming Help alliance will continue to be supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund, and use the FCN helpline number as the primary point of contact which remains 03000 111 999.