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

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