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

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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
Page 1 and 2: President’s messageAs the rapid p
Page 3 and 4: Last but by no means least on this
Page 5: Annual General MeetingAwardsIn addi
Page 9 and 10: Annual events and campaignsA portfo
Page 11 and 12: Summary of Income & Expenditure by

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