arable Help us help them – New support welcomed By Paul Tinson
As well as driving the Union’s work on crofting, and helping the Union’s crofting membership to reach 800, Sandy has also been an ardent
supporter of the Union’s ‘Farming with Dyslexia’ campaign, addressing a Scottish Parliamentary reception on the subject in 2016.
Readers of the February edition will be aware of appeals made by RSABI over the winter months to increase the number of individuals and businesses currently supporting the charity. Farming Scotland Magazine is a long standing business supporter. This year alone 93 new people have come forward to become individual supporters, some 42 via the Christmas appeal, with 84 businesses across the wider agricultural industry, including solicitors, accountancy firms, land agents, insurance brokers etc - pledging their regular support as new members. This is up over 60% in a year. 8 farming businesses throughout the country joined the supporter scheme in January which was particularly pleasing with the plea ongoing for many more farming businesses to follow farmers like David Bell of Fairfield Farms in Fife.
RSABI provides emotional, practical and financial support to individuals and their families across the sector at an annual cost to the charity of around £500,000. Our fundraising, donations and trust activity remain key in these times of increased demand for services, so the funds pledged so far this year by supporters, which are in excess of £50,000, remain crucial to allow us to keep delivering help. RSABI also looks forward to two key fundraising events to be staged in May and August in the Southern Uplands and the Great Glen respectively. See the banners in this issue and visit www. rsabi.org.uk to learn more.
To donate to the Supporter Scheme online as an individual or business visit www.rsabi.org.uk or call RSABI on 0300 111 4166 Please sign up for a regular annual payment if you can Read about people RSABI is helping in farming at www.rsabi.org.uk
www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com