66745 RABI Ann Rep 2006 PAGES - Royal Agricultural Benevolent ...

President’s messageAs the rapid pace of change and the growing demands of both bureaucracy andthe public put increasing pressure on the farming community, so the RoyalAgricultural Benevolent Institution has to adapt and develop to provide support forthose facing hardship.Agriculture may be a shrinking industry in terms of manpower but as more sufferhardship or are forced to leave the land there is no let up in the numbers in needof support. The level of financial aid and advice provided by RABI continues togrow and, supported by its links with the other Farming Help charities, so does thedepth of support it is providing for those in need.President Lord Plumb (left) with a stickpresented to him by RABI beneficiary andamateur stick maker Bill Ree (right) on theRABI stand at the Devon County Show.RABI is possiblyunique in the level ofgrass roots supportthat it has from thoseinvolved in theindustry.RABI has to be able to meet the changing requirements of its beneficiaries. As lifeexpectancy increases so does the need for long-term support. At the same time,with more people wanting to maintain their independence for as long as possible,RABI is providing an increasing number of one-off grants for specialist aids for theelderly and disabled living in their own homes.The strength of RABI lies in its depth, from its experienced and involved trustees,through a dedicated staff to its volunteer supporters across England and Wales.RABI is possibly unique in the level of grass roots support that it has from thoseinvolved in the industry. The importance of their voluntary support in raising funds,spreading awareness and helping those in need cannot be overvalued.With the challenges affecting agriculture expected to continue to cause hardship inmany sectors of the farming community, and with many of us living longer, we canexpect the role of RABI to be as important as it has ever been for the foreseeablefuture.Henry PlumbLord Plumb of Coleshill DLPresidentRoyal Agricultural Benevolent InstitutionVice PresidentsMrs A Barton OBEThe Earl Bathurst DLS ChakravartySir D Curry KB CBE FRAgSA Evans CBE FRAgS DLWT Gauntlett OBEN Painting OBEJ D Wallis FRICSRABI Annual Review 2006 1

Rosemary Nash and NatWest head of agricultural policy Ian Kenny (right) with five of the photographers who contributed images to the RABIcalendar, at the Royal Show.Chairman’s reportAs with any good organisation, RABI has evolved to meet changing requirementsand I am pleased to say has become the efficient and effective business you seetoday. This is all very necessary to make the most of our resources and to ensurethat we deliver the best possible service to those in need. To ensure that wecontinue to do so, our deputy chairman, Andrew Densham, has agreed toundertake a strategic review of the whole organisation and will announce his initialfindings at the annual general meeting in May.Fortune has certainly smiled on us in providing a group of trustees, many of whomare acknowledged experts in their own field, who are prepared to give of theirtime and expertise to guide us forward. But most importantly we have a chiefexecutive keen to harness those skills and, together with excellent, well motivatedstaff departments, to manage them together for the benefit of all.Clearly that is not the whole of the RABI team. Consultants form a necessaryresource and RABI is again fortunate to retain professional advisers who regularlyconduct affairs on our behalf, with investments, land agency and human resourceshigh on the agenda during 2006. We are both satisfied and delighted with theservices received. It is a requirement that charities regularly update on theprofessional bodies consulted and you will notice that for 2006 we have appointedMartin and Company as auditors for the charity.2 RABI Annual Review 2006

Last but by no means least on this ‘Tree of Human Endeavour’ are our volunteersupporters, sponsors and friends, without whom RABI would be in a sorry state.We are particularly grateful to them for the time and commitment extended to thework of RABI.That is the RABI ‘team’ complete.RABI has maintained a presence at the major agricultural shows for which thanksare due to The Farmers Club, show societies and the NFU for their generouspatronage. At the Royal Show we were particularly pleased to entertain a numberof sponsors to the RASE Charity Awards Dinner and the RABI reception held onGrant Thornton’s stand. Both events provided a timely opportunity to express ourgratitude to all concerned. Regional officers and county committees have ensuredthat RABI has been well represented at many local events with good results.We see a continuing need, indeed an increasing need, for our services in the future.Nevertheless, that service must be prepared to meet what will doubtless bechanging requirements and that is a resolve we will certainly maintain.Rosemary Nash presenting the secretary ofthe Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Nigel Pulling,with his RABI Trustee Award during the GreatYorkshire Show, together with North Yorkshirecommittee chairman Canon Brian Abell,(holding the Sam Taylor cup - won by hiscommittee); RABI honorary treasurer NickyLyon; the honorary show director Bill Cowling;and Liz Johnson of Towergate AIUA, winner ofthe RABI Cup.Rosemary NashChairmanRosemary Nash and Lord Plumb welcoming members of the XLVets cyclists at the RABI’s RoyalShow stand at the completion of their sponsored cycle relay.On this ‘Tree of Human Endeavour’ are ourvolunteer supporters, sponsors and friends,without whom RABI would be in a sorry state.RABI Annual Review 2006 3

Board of TrusteesRABI Trustees at their March2007 meeting(from left – seated)Michael Paske FRAgS (appointed 2004)grants committee chairman;Mrs. Rosemary Nash ARAgS (appointed 1997)chairman;Andrew Densham CBE (appointed 2002)deputy chairman;Julian Sayers FRICS, FAAV (appointed 2003)estates committee chairman.(standing)William Cumber (appointed 2006);Rt. Revd John Oliver (appointed 2005) honorary chaplain;Mrs. Lorna Tyson ARAgS, MBE (appointed 2004);Chris Riddle (appointed 2006);Bob Forster (appointed 2003);Raymond Henley FCA (appointed 2002)(unable to attend the meeting)Mrs. Nicky Lyon FCA (appointed 1997) honorary treasurer;Meurig Raymond MBE (appointed 2003)Chris French FRAgS (former deputy chairman)and Andy Hunterretired from the Board in September 2006.4 RABI Annual Review 2006

Annual General MeetingAwardsIn addition to the established awards, this year saw the introduction of TrusteeAwards. Up to five can be awarded each year to those considered to have providedRABI with outstanding and exceptional service.It was also announced that a new cup would be awarded at next year’s AGM - theHunter Farm Challenge Cup, kindly donated by retiring trustee Andy Hunter, it willbe awarded annually for the most challenging event, judged on creativity and interest,organised during the year.The winners of the 2005 awards, presented by Lord Plumb, were:Beaufort Shield awarded to the county committee showing the greatestimprovement in fundraising -KentRABI Cup for the greatest contribution by an individual -Liz Johnson (from Towergate AIUA)Sam Taylor Cup for outstanding performance by a county committee -North YorkshireDennis Brown Shield for creative ideas for fundraising/publicity -David Chantler (Kent)Bryn Davies Bowl for outstanding individual work for farming and RABI within Wales -Revd Ian CharlesworthTrustee Awards were awarded to Edgar & Jill Themans (Shropshire),Jenny Smith (Staffordshire), Nigel Pulling (Yorkshire Agricultural Society) andTom Byles (Cornwall).Guest speaker at the AGM was formerConservative Minister the Rt. Hon. LordWaldegrave of North Hill.Award winners with RABI president Lord Plumb at the AGM. (from left) Tom Byles; Alan King & Shirley Percy (collecting the Sam Taylor Cup for NorthYorkshire); Ian Charlesworth; Jill Themans; Lord Plumb; Caroline Fletcher (collecting the Dennis Brown Shield on behalf of her father David Chantler);David Brummell (collecting the Beaufort Shield for Kent); Liz Johnson; and Edgar Themans.RABI Annual Review 2006 5

Tony Moore taking RABI welfare officer Mary Humphreys to see his herd of single suckler cows in his converted Kawasaki Mule purchased with thehelp of RABI.WelfareHow we helpedThe welfare department continued to be busy throughout 2006. The team of fivehead office staff and 11 part-time regional welfare officers (RWOs) assisted over1,600 individuals and families during the year. Of these 1,552 were either long-termbeneficiaries, receiving quarterly grants or the recipients of one-off grants. In all,RABI paid out 13,451 separate grants totalling £1,366,060 in 2006.As well as regular payments for everyday essentials to long-term beneficiaries,grants were made for one-off special needs, such as electric wheelchairs, speciallyadapted vehicles, reading machines for the partially sighted, riser/recliner chairs,essential furniture, white goods and clothing.A key element of the RABI welfare role is confidential face-to-face support andadvice provided by the RWO network covering England and Wales. As a directresult of this, in 2006 they helped 110 people claim state benefits and grants fromother sources, to which they were entitled but were not receiving, securing morethan £282,500 in ongoing state benefits and a total of £78,429 in one off-grants.6 RABI Annual Review 2006

There were two RABI holidays, in Wales in May andCornwall in September, which enabled some 70 retired anddisabled beneficiaries to enjoy a proper holiday. For some itwas the first for many years. One of the best things aboutthe group holiday is that it enables the participants, oftenlonely people, to make new friends with whom they keep intouch after returning home.Fortunately Nigel found RABI and regional welfare officerPeter Addington was soon on the case, assessing the benefitsto which Geoff was entitled. It transpired that he should havebeen receiving Disability Living Allowance and Pension Credit(which included full council tax and rent benefit) which,together with some back payments, meant that he was onceagain able to make ends meet.A wide range of sources was responsible for referring the 542enquiries from potential beneficiaries received during the year.Together with social workers, relatives, friends, the NFU andother charities (such as the Farming Help partnership, SSAFA,Citizens Advice Bureau and the Royal British Legion), anincreasing number are learning about RABI through agencieshelping elderly people continue to live in their own homes(such as Care & Repair and Anchor Staying Put).We continue to be committed to supporting our long-termbeneficiaries for as long as they require our help and toproviding one-off assistance to those suffering severe financialhardship.Among those wehelped in 2006Cyril on the scooter provided by RABI with one of the rocking horses hehas made to raise funds for RABI.Cyril retired 26 years ago, having spent the last 25 years ofhis working life on the land, first as a smallholder then formost of the time as a farm manager on 3,000 acre estates,specialising in poultry production. He became a fullbeneficiary four years ago, receiving quarterly grants towardshis living expenses, and since then RABI has helped him withvarious one-off essentials including the purchase of an electricpowered scooter.Geoffrey (centre) with RABI regional welfare officer Peter Addington(left) and Nigel Brodrick-Barker who befriended him and brought hisplight to the attention of RABI.Geoffrey was the third generation to work on the sameWiltshire farm, until ill health, a crushed vertebra andemphysema, forced him to take early retirement eight yearsago. He continued to live in the farm bungalow, at the end ofa steep lane and an even steeper flight of steps, not the ideallocation for someone who is short of breath and hasdifficulty walking more than 25 yards.He was receiving just £78.50 a week in Incapacity Benefit andas he struggled to make ends meet he was falling further andfurther into debt. As Nigel Brodrick-Barker, who befriendedhim put it, “he seemed to have fallen through the socialservices net”.Although he is 87 years old, registered partially sighted andhaving to spend most of his time in a wheelchair, Cyril is stillable to carry on his hobby of woodworking. He is so gratefulfor RABI support that he has turned his skills to producingchildren’s rocking horses and other items to raise funds forthe charity.Two years ago Tony was a fit 67-year-old, actively involved inrunning the family farm in Norfolk. Then he suffered a veryrare form of stroke, paralysing him from below the waist, andwhen he emerged from hospital, three months later, he wasconfined to a wheelchair and unable to help on the farm.Following a visit from regional welfare officer Mary HumphreysRABI awarded a grant towards the cost of a specially adaptedKawasaki Mule, the balance being paid by the Access to Workscheme. As a result Tony can once again feel a useful memberof the team helping his son with the day-to-day running of thefarm and visiting his cattle in the fields.RABI Annual Review 2006 7

Fun rides, like this annual event organised for the RABI Warwickshire committee by the Stratford-upon-Avon NFU branch, are becoming a popularsource of fundraising.Fundraising, Marketing &CommunicationsTwo distinct challenges face the fundraising, marketing andcommunications department. The first is to raise funds in anincreasingly competitive environment. Just as vital is thedepartment’s other role in publicising and promoting RABI’swork to those who are in need of help. Both of thesefunctions are critical to RABI’s success.Sustainability is our major objective and in 2006 wecontinued developing our programme of regular activitiesaimed at both fundraising and creating awareness of howRABI can help those in need.RABI Oxfordshire committee chairman Stephen Bitmead (right)receiving the Henley & District Agricultural Association’s ‘Charity Cheque’for £3,000 from Brigadier Nigel Mogg DL watched by the Association’spresident David Palmer DL, during the Henley Show.Our most valuable assetAs always, our volunteers formed the backbone of ouron-going work. Supported by our six regional officers (ROs),our voluntary committees succeeded in raising over£728,000 in their counties, through their own efforts andtheir encouragement to others. This represented an increasefor the third year running and proves how essential ourdedicated volunteers are in helping us achieve our objectives.8 RABI Annual Review 2006

Annual events and campaignsA portfolio of annual fundraising activities provides aframework that we can build on each year.We start in January with Farmhouse Breakfast Week.Across the country, several thousand pounds were raisedfrom numerous events including at Shaw House, where weprovided breakfasts for local business people. Our thanks toBPEX and Ladies in Pigs for supporting this and to thenumerous county committees and companies who turnedthis healthy eating campaign into a fundraising opportunity.Our fifth appearance in the London 10k road runattracted a record 42 RABI runners, boosted by a team ofsix from Bidwell’s in Cambridge, three ladies from Cumbria, ateam from East Anglia and a group of volunteers fromBerkshire who joined our seasoned runners fromOxfordshire and Bucks.Awaiting the judge’s verdict, the entries in the RABI lamb class at theRoyal Smithfield Christmas Fair, which were donated by sheep exhibitorsto raise funds for RABI.The winning lamb, from Angley School YFC in Kent,third from the left, sold for £185, more than three times the average.RABI was also the chosen charity for the Devon CountyShow in 2006 enabling us to raise both funds and our profile.These are just three of the many show organisers andsocieties that support RABI around the country with freestand space and promotional opportunities. We are gratefulto them all for providing us with an unparalleled shopwindow for raising awareness of our work.Members of the RABI team relaxing with supporters in St. James’s Parkhaving completed the London 10k road run.Farming in Focus, the RABI NatWest calendar for 2007was the most highly acclaimed to date, thanks largely to thegenerous support of Guild of Agricultural Journalistsphotographers who donated images of the highest quality.Agricultural showsWe are grateful to the chairman of the awards dinner at theRoyal Show for nominating the Farming Help charities asthe beneficiaries of the auction. Not only did the occasionraise valuable funds but it gave us the opportunity to meetmajor donors and explore our common ground. We alsohad the generous support of The Farmers Club, whoprovided the site for the RABI tent, and of Grant Thorntonwho hosted our reception in their pavilion.We welcomed the invitation to be involved in the RoyalSmithfield Christmas Fair with the inclusion of the RABIlamb class. Moving Smithfield out of London to Somersetbrought it under the wing of our local county committee,who used the opportunity to great effect, raffling a quad bike.Public fundingOur successful bid to Defra in 2005 for three-year funding tocover the salaries and costs of two of our team of regionalwelfare officers (RWOs) gave us the platform to create anational programme to seek funding for the entire team. Byusing Defra’s support as a cornerstone, we succeeded insecuring further funding from a number of Charitable Truststo finance the work of team members in several othercounties. This is an ongoing programme, with the aim ofcovering the whole of England and Wales. We are verygrateful to Defra and the charitable trusts who havesupported, and continue to support, this programme.During the year we received further funding from Defra tohelp cover the extra workload experienced by our welfaredepartment as a result of the late payments of the SingleFarm Payment scheme.BeneficiariesAn important part of the department’s activities is creatingawareness of RABI where it is most needed. There is aconsiderable emphasis on the continuing development of thisarea of our work and 2006 saw a more proactive approachto communicating with bodies, such as rural healthpractitioners, social services and other support organisations,which come into contact with potential beneficiaries.We are grateful to the many companies, charitabletrusts, individuals and volunteers, without whosegoodwill, generosity and enthusiasm we could notprovide support for so many of those in need.RABI Annual Review 2006 9

AccountsWHERE OUR MONEY COMES FROM £000Voluntary income - donations 886Voluntary income - legacies 590Voluntary income - grants 78Investment income - dividends and interest 1,153Investment income - estates 164Trading sales 40Fees for residential care 1,094Total incoming resources 4,005Reserves released 484,053WHERE OUR MONEY GOESCosts of generating voluntary income 588Investment management & estates costs 185Costs of goods sold and trading costs 42Direct welfare payments, grants and support 1,914Residential homes 1,264Governance costs 604,053BALANCE SHEET 31 Dec 2006£000Tangible assets 8,683Investments 35,221Trading stock 14Debtors 268Bank & cash 404Creditors (186)Net assets 44,404Unrestricted 38,842Restricted 5,067Endowment 495Total funds 44,404Independent Auditors Statement to the trustees of RABIWe have examined the summarised financial statements of RABI.Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and AuditorsThe trustees are responsible for preparing the summarisedfinancial statements in accordance with the recommendations ofthe charities’ SORP. Our responsibility is to report to you ouropinion on the consistency of the summarised financial statementswith the full financial statements and Trustees’ Annual Report. Wealso read the other information contained in the summarisedannual report and consider the implications of our report if webecome aware of any apparent misstatements or materialinconsistencies with the summarised financial statements.Basis of OpinionWe conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 1999/6 ‘Theauditors’ statement on the summary financial statement’ issued bythe Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom.OpinionIn our opinion the summarised financial statements are consistentwith the full financial statements and Trustees’ Annual Report ofRABI for the year ended 31 December 2006.Registered Auditors Martin and Company21 March 2007 WinchesterIncomeFees forresidential careTrading salesInvestment income- estatesTotal ExpenditureGovernancecostsResidentialhomesDirect welfarepayments, grantand supportDirect Welfare PaymentsCasework costsWelfare supportHelpline (workingfarmers)Stapnalls(emergencyrelief)Home helpsVoluntary incomedonationsVoluntary incomelegaciesVoluntary incomeInvestment income grants- dividends and interestCosts ofgeneratingvoluntary incomeNomination RightsdepreciationHome fees paidInvestmentmanagementestates costsCosts of goodssold and tradingcostsTrustees’ StatementThe attached summarised accounts are a summary of informationextracted from the annual accounts and certain informationrelating to both the statement of financial activities and thebalance sheet.These summarised accounts may not contain sufficient informationto allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of thecharity. For further information, the full annual accounts and thetrustees’ annual report should be consulted. Copies of these canbe obtained by writing to the chief executive at the head office,the address of which is on the back cover of this Annual Report.The full annual accounts have to be subject to externalexamination by an independent auditor and received anunqualified report.Allocation ofsupport costGrants10 RABI Annual Review 2006

Summary of Income & Expenditure by Counties in 2006Donations were received during 2006 from Her Majesty The QueenExpended on TotalBeneficiaries Income Previouscurrently living from year’sin County County Income£ £ £Anglesey (Ynys Mon) 4,202 1,849 203Bedfordshire & Huntingdon 3,412 2,852 10,960Berkshire 2,434 8,862 3,957Brecon & Radnor 16,056 1,847 1,694Buckinghamshire 12,103 16,980 19,829Caernarfonshire 10,965 72 62Cambridgeshire 28,437 13,464 20,325Ceredigion 48,476 7,802 5,571Carmarthenshire 63,653 7,717 7,756Cheshire 20,535 15,799 13,648Cornwall 55,835 11,950 20,440Cumbria 22,132 18,491 5,175Clwyd (Denbigh/Flint) 28,237 3,746 1,964Conwy 5,066 640 3,225Derbyshire 24,727 5,435 6,917Devonshire 89,475 24,050 22,550Dorset 25,218 27,959 20,000Durham 12,387 3,209 848East Sussex 19,004 5,894 10,767Essex 5,737 10,971 18,835Glamorgan 956 7,031 2,971Gloucestershire 21,174 23,188 29,263Hampshire 34,453 35,406 29,193Herefordshire 24,617 5,891 12,080Hertfordshire 5,069 12,176 7,257Isle of Wight 3,488 4,781 4,550Kent 29,910 46,280 64,292Lancashire 31,094 18,645 20,444Leicestershire 32,217 16,832 8,282Lincolnshire 48,863 7,488 12,088Merionethshire/Mid Gwynedd 6,799 2,895 2,875Middlesex - 16 342Monmouth 7,828 4,032 2,863Montgomery 25,658 5,791 262N. Ireland 14,982 1,036 989Norfolk 61,176 44,927 25,067Northamptonshire 12,040 11,953 13,369Northumberland 31,149 9,495 8,709Nottinghamshire 4,998 6,295 1,558Oxfordshire 9,888 39,534 28,656Pembrokeshire 15,988 4,290 2,842Rutland - 1,873 724Shropshire 56,952 15,975 14,988Somerset 60,294 14,203 20,759Staffordshire 33,407 13,117 16,359Suffolk 45,470 36,647 40,070Surrey 13,727 23,745 19,602Warwickshire 21,191 24,780 23,807West Midlands 6,568 3,229 757West Sussex 21,522 10,590 14,354Wiltshire 29,974 14,566 12,110Worcestershire 32,374 13,290 15,751Yorkshire (East Riding) 20,002 9,069 9,946Yorkshire (North Riding) 81,516 36,476 36,374Yorkshire (West Riding) 13,033 12,962 4,057Total 1,356,468 728,093 702,336Note: Income and expenditure not directly attributable to countiesis not included in this table.Gifts/Legacies 2006Miss E B AndersonMrs M AndersonMrs M A BastinMiss M A BlumfieldMr R ButlerMr H ChesterMr P F EdmondsMrs S M FrancisMrs N L GrimwoodMr P F GrimwoodMrs R HamMiss O F HemmantIn MemoriamMr J Howard-JonesMrs G P HydeMiss D M JacksonMr D W KingMiss C M LeedhamCommander J E LewisMr J A LyonMrs M QuilliamMrs N L SpiersMrs P F TaylorMrs J WrinchDonations in memory of the following friends and supporters of theInstitution have been received and gratefully acknowledged during 2006.Thetotal received was £39,394.44Mr George Allan..............................................................................................................SurreyMrs Eunice Andrew ...........................................................................................LincolnshireMr Bruce William Atfield ..............................................................................West SussexMr Richard Ayrton ....................................................................................North YorkshireMrs Amy Bagnall....................................................................................................DerbyshireMr Martin James Baker ...............................................................................................DevonMr Leslie Frederick Baxter......................................................................................NorfolkMr William Betton..............................................................................................Co DurhamMrs Beryl Blatherwick...........................................................................NorthumberlandMr N R Bowles................................................................................................................DevonMr Henry Brattin ......................................................................................BuckinghamshireMr Arthur Broome.........................................................................................LeicestershireMrs Ruby Browning ............................................................................................East SussexMr John Eli Bubb.........................................................................................GloucestershireMr Arthur Frederick Butcher..............................................................................WiltshireMr Albert James Capel..........................................................................BuckinghamshireMr Robert Lansbury Capon.......................................................................BedfordshireMr G Carter .................................................................................................North YorkshireMs Nan Carter ...........................................................................................................WiltshireMr Douglas Catton........................................................................................HertfordshireMr Albert Chancey ..............................................................................................HampshireMr George William Clay ......................................................................NottinghamshireMr Frederick John Collison ..................................................................................CheshireMr Alan Curtis............................................................................................BuckinghamshireMr John Davenport...................................................................................CambridgeshireMr Ralph Dean...........................................................................................................BerkshireMr Peter Deathe.........................................................................................MonmouthshireMrs Eileen Drew..............................................................................................................SurreyMrs R Driver......................................................................................................................SuffolkMr Norman Edwards ...................................................................................HerefordshireMr James Clifford Fairclough.........................................................................................KentMs Daphne Ferrier........................................................................................................DevonMr S Field..................................................................................................................East SussexMrs Annie Marion Gapp..........................................................................................NorfolkMr Albert Gaydon .............................................................................................OxfordshireMr J W Gore ...............................................................................................................BerkshireMrs Annie Winifred Gower...........................................................................................KentMr Greenaway..............................................................................................GloucestershireMr Martin James Greenfield.....................................................................................SuffolkJoan Mary Harland.......................................................................................................NorfolkMr Geoffrey David Harris..........................................................................................SurreyMr Brian Hartley.....................................................................................................LancashireMr Desmond Harty ......................................................................................................SussexMr Michael Butler Hawkings..............................................................North SomersetMr Thomas Hills ...................................................................................................................KentMr David Lionel Ingham........................................................................................YorkshireMr John William Ira Jenkin.........................................................................HerefordshireMrs Christine Johnson.............................................................................................CumbriaMr Leonard Johnson.............................................................................................LancashireMr Cyril Christopher Kemp ...............................................................BuckinghamshireMr William Kenyon................................................................................................LancashireMr Francis King ..........................................................................................................SomersetMr R P Latham...........................................................................................BuckinghamshireMaster William Glynn Lewis..............................................................Carmarthenshirecontinued on page 12RABI Annual Review 2006 11

Chief Executive’s reviewAs RABI continues to move forwardwe are ensuring that the necessarybuilding blocks are in place for thelong-term. The charity has to ensurethat it is able to support those inneed as agriculture continues to facenew challenges stemming fromgrowing environmental pressuresand fluctuations in world supply anddemand.Changes beyond the industry’s control continue to have a knockoneffect with more farmers needing help. The financial pressures,together with the emotional and mental stress of trying to copecan have devastating consequences for the whole family.To ensure that we are managing our resources efficiently, are ableto respond to the changing requirements and are taking advantageof opportunities, in the latter part of 2006 the trustees instigated astrategic review of RABI’s long-term framework. The organisationmust continue to be technically proficient, highly motivated andcreative, with all stakeholders working together towards commongoals. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of thereview will be in place during the latter part of 2007.The success of the charity stems from the close working relationshipand positive attitude between its trustees and staff, which wasstrengthened during 2006 by their active involvement andcontribution at all levels. The trustees’ passion to put somethingback into the industry, combined with their professional skills andagricultural knowledge, saves RABI a considerable sum of money.This leads me on to emphasise yet again our gratitude for thecontinued hard work of our network of 52 voluntary countycommittees in raising both funds and awareness.Voluntaryfundraising exceeded £728,000 - a fantastic achievement. Ourunique committee structure makes us the envy of many othercharities.Although we are a national charity it is vital to maintain the linkswith the grass roots which these committees bring.To build on andstrengthen these contacts we are always on the look-out foryounger volunteers not only from the farming community but alsofrom the associated agricultural industries.Turning to welfare issues, due to the charitable disregard rules ourgrants to full beneficiaries had not been increased since September1998.These rules meant that if RABI paid above the allowedthreshold the recipients’ state benefits would be reducedaccordingly, resulting in no advantage to the beneficiary. With thelimit on the amount charities can give to individuals on a regularbasis being withdrawn in October 2006, we were able to increaseregular grants at the beginning of 2007.An important aspect of our welfare work is that of maintaining aclose relationship with other organisations which providecomplementary support. During 2006 our welfare staff were incommunication with various support agencies, depending on thenature of the problem, to ensure the best possible assistance formany of our beneficiaries.They also worked closely with healthprofessionals, to secure the most effective range of aids for thosesuffering illness or disability.In addition, with support in 2006 from Sir Don Curry and NFUMutual, we continue to build on our close cooperation andcommunication with the other farming charities, Farm CrisisNetwork (FCN) and the ARC-Addington Fund, under the umbrellaof Farming Help. By bringing together our different butcomplementary functions we have been able to develop a widerange of expertise and specialism to help those in need in thefarming community.2006 was another successful year and I would like to thank all ofour volunteers, supporters, corporate organisations and charitabletrusts, without whose support it would not be possible to maintainthe level of care to our beneficiaries. We look forward tocontinuing and developing these close relationships as we worktowards our 150th anniversary in 2010.Paul BurrowsChief ExecutiveIn Memoriam continued from page 11Mr Geoffrey Francis Mansell.....................................................................LeicestershireMr Henry John Mason.............................................................................CambridgeshireMrs Doris McGregor ....................................................................................WarwickshireMrs Marion McGregor.................................................................................WarwickshireMr Henry George Money.......................................................................................NorfolkMr Roy Money....................................................................................................West SussexMr Cyril Christopher Moscrop ...............................................................East YorkshireMrs Muir .........................................................................................................................WiltshireMr Andrew Naughton............................................................................................WiltshireMr Ian Nicholson...................................................................................................HampshireMr Kenneth Nott............................................................................................................SuffolkMs Sylvia Orchard ....................................................................................BuckinghamshireNell Pearse...................................................................................................................SomersetMrs Francis Penn...........................................................................................................NorfolkMr Paul Pulford................................................................................................HerefordshireMr James Ramsbottom .......................................................................................LancashireMr David Laurie Ritchie............................................................................................NorfolkMr Frederick Howard Robinson ........................................................WorcestershireMr Graham Sandercock..............................................................................................SurreyMrs Alison Searby ........................................................................................West YorkshireMr Shail............................................................................................................................WiltshireMr Robert Slater ...............................................................................................................EssexMr Henry Smallman ..................................................................................WorcestershireMrs Jane Spokes...................................................................................NorthamptonshireMs Mary Swan ......................................................................................................................KentMr Richard Taylor.................................................................................................................KentMr Edward Thomas .............................................................................................GlamorganMrs Margaret Rose Thompson ...............................................................WarwickshireMrs Zoreila Thompson ...........................................................................................CumbriaMrs Mary Tomlin.........................................................................................................CheshireMrs Teresa Trudgett...............................................................................................LancashireMr John Eli Truett .................................................................................................East SussexMr Wilfred George Waters.........................................................................................EssexMrs Alice Webster .................................................................................................LancashireMr Alan Widdowson .........................................................................................LincolnshireMs Molly Wills ..................................................................................................................DevonMr William Arthur Woodhouse....................................................................ShropshireMr Philip Wrixon ............................................................................................Herefordshire12 RABI Annual Review 2006