 Royal Agricultural Benevolent Fund This national charity is looking to give away grants to individuals in need in Staffordshire! Eligible recipients will be retired farmers or their dependants, retired farm workers or their dependents. They must have been working within an agricultural setting for at least 10 years and must have outgoings that exceed their income. Capital assets e.g. farmhouses are discounted, but savings are counted. Individuals may be still living in a rural area or may have moved away. Grants may be small or large, can pay for, for example, tops up for residential care homes, cookers, car repairs basically anything that supports a family in need rather than the business. Other examples are all terrain wheelchairs, special needs rooms for young children. Following referral to the RABIs head office in Oxford tel 01865 724931, a local welfare officer visits and then all beneficiaries receive visits, phone calls etc to maintain contact. They receive winter fuel bonuses twice a year and a hamper at Christmas. The RABI are also running a Gateway scheme this is to pay for training for eligible people to enable them to move out of farming, an example would be HGV driver training, or computer skills. The RABI are supporting 75 people in Shropshire but only 25 in Staffordshire and are looking to support many more. Please can you ensure that workers in contact with likely beneficiaries are aware of this charity. Any queries to 01865 724931. Bev French County Commissioner - Older People Joint Commissioning Unit Wedgwood Building Tipping Street STAFFORD ST16 2DH |