As we near the end of our 30th anniversary year we wanted to highlight once more the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of FCN volunteers.
Every volunteer brings their own unique skills and experience, and they are bound together through their understanding of the agricultural industry, rural life and for many their faith. They are an exceptional network of 400+ people across the UK upon which the farming community can rely during difficult times.
Some of FCN’s most long-standing and active volunteers took the time to share what led them to becoming a volunteer, their memories of time spent supporting the charity, and the benefits that volunteering has brought to their lives.
From meeting The King, to the accidental loss of some precious china(!), to having their way of thinking challenged and changed, this is a great collection of stories and words of wisdom that perfectly reflect the rewarding work of volunteering for The Farming Community Network.
I have cried, laughed, hugged…being an FCN volunteer is one of the best jobs in the world.
Marian Rigby, FCN Volunteer
Adrian Baugh
Adrian is a farmer from Nottinghamshire, and he became a volunteer 2 years ago. He is now county coordinator.
Keith Gosney
Keith is a farmer’s son from Powys. For the last 18 years he has been running Wales’ largest farmer co-operative, and has been an FCN volunteer since 2022.
Marian Rigby
Marian from Lancashire has been volunteering with FCN for 11 years, having previously worked as a Training Officer and a Welfare Officer for a global company.
Pauline Broadwith
Pauline was brought up on a dairy farm, married an arable farmer, and has a son and daughter who are now both farming. She lives in North Yorkshire and has been an FCN volunteer for 16 years.
Steve Jackson
Steve began volunteering for Derbyshire Rural Support in 1992, and is now an FCN volunteer in Staffordshire. He describes himself as a ‘reformed townie’, having spent his career in the fertiliser supply industry.
Peter Beresford
Brought up on a beef and sheep farm, Peter, who lives in Yorkshire, has recently retired from a career in banking and commercial & agricultural finance. He became an FCN volunteer in 2021.
Suzie Wilkinson
Suzie was the Pastoral Support Lead for the Women’s Farming Union when she became an FCN volunteer in Somerset in 1996. She and her husband are now semi-retired with just a few cattle.
Stephen Cousley
Stephen, who has a farming background in Northern Ireland, is an FCN volunteer in Devon. He has been involved in rural ministry for 30 years, and is currently serving as chaplain at Exeter Livestock Market.
What inspired you to become an FCN volunteer?
Suzie: I was asked to attend an FCN meeting in Exeter. I felt listening to farming families was something I could do. At the beginning, there were only two of us – Vaughan Ogden and myself. In the days to come all Farm Crisis Network (note: FCN was renamed as the ‘Farming Community Network’ in 2013) volunteers received a green sheet with the names and addresses of all volunteers. I received mine to read that I was the co-ordinator of FCN in Somerset and I remained co-ordinator until 2023.
Peter: I was looking for some voluntary work where I felt I could make a real difference with the skills and knowledge I had gained. I have a background in farming as well as finance & banking so I volunteered with FCN on the basis that I could potentially support farmers with these issues.
Marian: After my husband passed away I very often used to lie awake listening to Radio 4 and one morning I heard on Farming Today that a charity known as FCN were looking for volunteers. I rang them the same day, was interviewed at home two days later, and as soon as my CRB check came through I attended my first visit with the coordinator of Lancashire.
Adrian: I had a bad time after selling my milking herd. FCN helped me. It was as if somebody up stairs said ‘Hey Adrian, you’re a gobby so and so, have a dose of this and then go and spread the word’.
Keith: I read an article about FCN and it really struck a chord with me.
Stephen: It is my privilege to serve as a chaplain at Exeter Livestock Market and…..and when the opportunity came to serve with FCN it seemed the most natural thing.
Pauline: I took up a part time role working for The Churches Regional Commission’s farm business support scheme. My volunteering was an expectation of the paid role. Our brief was to “reach the hard to reach”.
Steve: I joined the Derbyshire Rural Support group in 1992 after I heard Christopher Jones address a meeting of the Association of Christian Farmers at Stoneleigh. I could see an increasing need within the farming community of people who needed help to sort their problems.
What is the most rewarding aspect of volunteering for FCN?
Peter: Being able to provide practical help & support to distressed farmers which often helps them resolve their financial problems, particularly if there was a strong possibility that they would lose the family farm.
Marian: I have met families who have completely changed my thinking. Even though they are going through bad times, they have time to smile, and welcome you into their lives.
Steve: Having farmers we’ve helped come up to me at a show or similar with tears in their eyes and say they’ll never forget how much help we gave them at the time of their greatest need.
Suzie: Being let into peoples’ lives and sharing their ups and downs.
Pauline: When people are so grateful just for you listening to them and allowing them to talk to someone who is not family, friend or neighbour but invariably understands exactly where they are coming from.
What is the most memorable moment of your time spent volunteering with FCN?
Suzie: When a young farmer with a small family survived a suicide attempt and changed his life around. He said that having someone on his side listening to him had made all the difference.
Pauline: When a colleague and I from CRC went to assist a beneficiary with a large passport issue to gather some cattle for checks. They had already had several attempts before we arrived but as we joined the line the cattle walked straight to where they needed to be. The farmer said to us something to the effect that we must have some good connection to “him upstairs” meaning God!
Steve: Without doubt, being asked to represent FCN last month at a private meeting with King Charles and to see first-hand his comprehensive farming knowledge and compassion for UK farmers.
Keith: To date it’s visiting a young woman whose life had been turned upside down after her husband died in an accident. She was left with two small children and a rented farm she did not really want – her courage was humbling.
Pauline: I had been supporting a farmer’s wife who was helping her husband who was being bullied by his family to work towards a split in the partnership. She needed constant reassurance that they would reach the goal eventually. She was worried about her husband’s mental state. By encouraging them both to press forward she was so grateful months later when they finally started out on their own. I really did very little but a lot of encouragement was needed for them to stand their corner and become happy working together again in their own right.
Adrian: Talking to the wife of somebody who was going through a bad time, and helping her to understand what her husband was going through. The thanks from her was enough.
Peter: I have had several instances where the bank was about to foreclose and sell the farm to repay their borrowing. Thankfully, I have been able to bridge the gap between the farmer and the bank which has resulted in a positive outcome for all concerned going forward.
Pauline: When I was assisting a single farmer with health issues to quit a tenanted farm and move into a local almshouse owned by his landlord. The state of his house and furniture was such that as I packed the last of his “precious china” into a box, the cabinet which had been holding it collapsed when the legs gave way to the woodworm infestation!
Why do you think it’s important that people support farming charities?
Adrian: Farming is a funny old game. Unless you’re farming, it’s very difficult to understand the problems. We all go through bad times in our lives, and knowing there is help out when it is needed is so important.
Keith: Because there are so many people who work on farms in lonely isolation, many of whom are overwhelmed by changes – especially as they get older- and without help might not survive.
Marian: I have met families who…have never been used to much, but appreciate what they do have, and a lot of times just need someone to talk to.
Steve: Because farmers are massively over-worked, under-paid, under-valued and increasingly isolated; they are often working alone in a hugely complex environment which requires specialist knowledge and lots of time to navigate.
Pauline: Farming is an isolated life, ruled by politicians but more especially by the weather. I believe that only people who have been in that situation, particularly during the worst of times can really understand how farmers feel. Often their image is less than complimentary in the media which is really hard when they put in so many hours and have so little control over their business at times.
What do you feel you have gained personally from being an FCN volunteer?
Steve: There is certainly something intrinsically worthwhile about helping other people. I’m a Christian, and Jesus taught us that it is better to serve than to be served. The personal rewards that my FCN work brings is a living testimony of that. Also, I’m far more able to cope with the “curved balls” that life inevitably throws at me, after seeing others in a far worse situation than mine.
Suzie: I have gained more than I have given. I have made lifetime friendships all over the country. I have met so many different people in different social circles – even King Charles and the Princess Royal among others. As an FCN volunteer I have been invited to Buckingham Palace and Highgrove – something an ordinary farmer might never have done. In Somerset we have a wonderful supportive team starting with the 2 of us – increasing to 10 during Foot & Mouth and many more joining us when the Somerset Levels were flooded – and today 30+ active members.
Peter: There is a sense of personal satisfaction; the work can be very rewarding.
Marian: I have met families who have completely changed my thinking. They have made me look at life differently, and taught me to be calmer and more patient – traits I didn’t really have before.
Keith: For me simply the gift of helping others is enormous. As I told our group leader, I would happily do it every day!
Pauline: I have encountered some very knowledgeable people who have supported agriculture for many years and have learnt a lot from their life experiences.
What would you say to someone considering becoming an FCN volunteer?
Suzie: Go for it! Enjoy being part of a team of different people with such a range of skills. Walking with farmers and being there for them in their times of need brings such reward.
Stephen: Serving, sharing and supporting in whatever form that takes, is part of our service to the one who has given us stewardship over the countryside in which we live, and it is awesome.
Steve: “Just do it” as they say, and never under-estimate the value of simply listening to someone unload and unwind. “A problem shared is a problem halved” is a true saying as well, and one which I constantly remind myself of. Casework is 95% about listening and showing empathy for the farmers we serve. It’s not complicated; give it a try and you’ll be amazed at the results.
Adrian: Think hard, is it for you? Are you committed? Have you got good people skills? If yes then go for it, you won`t regret it.
Keith: Do it because the benefit not only to others but also to your own well being is undeniable!
Marian (with some guidance for volunteers starting out): Don’t promise results. Just give everyone time to reflect and tell you their situation. Don’t go in all guns blazing as though you have all the answers, we don’t! Confidentiality is paramount, and taking things very slowly is a must. I have cried, laughed, hugged and felt extremely frustrated, but being an FCN volunteer is one of the best jobs in the world.