Welly Week round-up - Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

Around the country
Students plough
funds to RABI
This year the money raised from the Reading University agricultural
students’ annual 48-hour charity ploughing marathon, has been donated
to RABI. The marathon, which took place from the 3rd to 5th March,
involved 35 students, including “male and female drivers of all abilities”,
using two tractors and ploughs.
In total 185 acres were ploughed on the university farm and a cheque
for £2,238.56, the total sum raised, was presented to RABI by a number
of the participants at the agricultural faculty in October.
Sunshine on the IoW
The Isle of Wight committee together
with our host, NFU group secretary
Matt Legge, and a sunny day ensured
that we had a great day at the
island’s annual ploughing match, at
Brading, near Ryde. The sale of ‘Jolly
Jars’ raised £100, Christmas cards
sales made £400 and a welly
wanging competition brought in a
further £100. A big thank you to
NFU’s Matt and Karen for all their Jars of everything and a raffle tickets for
help and support.
sale which ever way you go!
Weather cancels shows
Atrocious weather at the beginning
of September put pay to two events
in one weekend. Harvesting the Old
Fashioned Way at Lavant, near
Chichester, normally attended by
around 1,000 people, was a
particular loss as RABI receives half
of the gate takings, which last year
amounted to £4,000.
The Alresford Show in Hampshire
had to be called off on the morning
of the show and the RABI stand,
which had been erected with the
help of Norma Morris and Denys
Ryder the day before, had to be
rescued with the aid of Denys’s John
Deere mule.
Denys with the dismantled RABI stand
safely back on firm ground
In Brief....
Durham debut
The first event organised by the County Durham RABI
committee was a stand at Eggleston Show. The RABI marquee
attracted a lot of interest and they raised £175.00 - not bad at
all for a first effort.
Regional officer in the sheep ring
RABI’s presence at the annual Masham Sheep Fair
extended into the show ring when the north east
regional officer, Sally Conner, donned a white coat
to show sheep. She described the occasion as “a
brilliant weekend, wonderful weather and loads of
sheep!”
Dolls House Fair
A dolls house fair held at Bedale School, the
brainchild of North Yorkshire RABI committee chairman David
Burke, attracted more than 200 people and made over
£1,000. It was so successful that it looks likely to become an
annual event.
Cards sell well at Loseley
The RABI presence at the Loseley County Fair and annual
ploughing match was thanks to the organisers, Surrey
Agricultural Society – who were very supportive of RABI during
last year’s foot and mouth outbreak, and to the Countryside
Alliance, who shared our stand space. Christmas cards sold
well during the day, raising £340.
Ploughmen’s lunch
The West Sussex committee, ably assisted by Sally Field, once
again provided the refreshments at the Petworth & District
Agricultural Society’s annual ploughing match. Held at Manor
Farm, Heyshott, thanks to Richard and Sue Comber, the event
attracted over 500 people and the RABI stand raised £150.
Lunch in Cheshire
This year’s annual Cheshire Sunday lunch was well attended,
in lovely surroundings, with guests enjoying an excellent beef
roast and pleasant company. Our thanks to the hosts, Mr and
Mrs J Roberts.
Lancashire thank you
The farming community in East Lancashire organised a hugely
successful hog roast and band night in Burnley, as a thank you
for the help RABI had given to a family in the area and to
raise awareness locally. Our thanks to the very hard working
supporters who put on a fantastic night and raised £1,800.
Lancashire harvest praise
Songs of Praise service and NFU harvest service, plus a ‘Trouble
at the Mill’ comedy night, in Lancashire raised £400. Regional
officer Georgina Lamb expressed her many thanks to the
‘wonderful’ committee for all the apple pies they cooked.
Northants harvest party
The Northants committee’s annual harvest party had a new
venue this year, at Deene Park. Following the reinstatement of
the organ at Deene harvest festival, a reception was held in
the grand surroundings of Deene Park where over 100 guests
enjoyed an Indian buffet and a glass of wine.
Forde Abbey update
The final accounts for the Forde Abbey Summer Fair (reported
in the autumn issue of R.A.B.I. News) reveal that, despite the
adverse weather conditions, a total of £12,450 was raised -
slightly more than two years ago, the previous occasion when
it was in aid of RABI - when the sun shone!
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