Melton farmers get new support group

spread your view tractor and gulls from Margaret Bavington

Sitting at the edge of a field having lunch and watching the gulls feeding too at the Windmill in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth Country Park.
Picture: Margaret Bavington

email: outlook_21EE5ADDD69084CA@outlook.com EMN-161121-123435001 — spread your view tractor and gulls from Margaret Bavington Sitting at the edge of a field having lunch and watching the gulls feeding too at the Windmill in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Picture: Margaret Bavington email: [email protected] EMN-161121-123435001

It is an initiative from the Farming Community Network, which will hold sessions at the town’s cattle market every Tuesday.

Practical and pastoral advice will be available through the group from FCN representatives and volunteers from other support agencies.

Farmers will have an opportunity for an informal chat about anything , from issues affecting their business to relationship problems.

Charles Smith, chief executive of FCN, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Melton Mowbray market for allowing us to have this facility and giving local farmers the opportunity to talk to our volunteers about what difficulties they are going through.

“Markets are a great point of contact for our farmers - they know there’ll be someone there they know and can have a chat to.”

The FCN, which is a national network of more than 400 volunteers with strong links to farming, will operate the Melton group from 9.30am through to 1pm.

The organisation says their members understand how interconnected the farm business and household are and it has helped thousands of farmers deal with issues.

Mr Smith urged anyone from the farming community who is worried about anything to get involved.

He said: “It might be a financial issue, perhaps related to the very low prices we’ve seen in the dairy and livestock sectors in the past 12 months, or something more personal - perhaps a relationship issue or a problem they might find difficult to raise elsewhere.

“Our volunteers are either farmers or people with a very close link to the industry so they understand the stresses and strains that farmers experience.

“We walk with them through their problem, finding someone suitable to talk to, pointing them in the direction of the right help and advice.

“We hope that by providing a friendly and confidential presence, that anyone with a problem will feel able to come and talk about it.”

The FCN will be assisted in running the cattle market group by a number of other support agencies and charities.

These include Nottinghamshire Rural Support, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, RABI and the market’s own chaplaincy service.

Representatives will be at the market every Tuesday.

Go online at www.fcn.org.uk for more information about the Farming Community Network.