To talk to a sympathetic person who understands farming and rural life:
CALL 03000 111 999
Calls will be answered in person from 7am to 11pm every day of the year
I need help with:
- Difficulties with finance
- Banking relationships
- Tenancy issues or eviction
- Rural Payments Agency
- Bureaucracy
- Business Partnerships
How FCN can help you and your business:
Difficulties with finance
Farmers are not immune from the financial difficulties which are affecting the whole country. The important thing is to address the problems as soon as they become apparent; the problems will not go away if you ignore them. An FCN volunteer will spend time with you sorting out where the problems lie and will support you while you go through the process of putting everything back on an even keel.
Banking relationships
For anyone whose skills and expertise lie with rearing animals or growing crops, the prospect of a formal meeting with an accountant or a bank manager can be daunting. FCN volunteers can help you to prepare for such meetings – putting all the required papers in order, making a note of everything you want to say and discuss, deciding what you want to get out of the meeting – and, if you wish, one of our volunteers will come with you to the meeting, just to provide support and ensure that you don’t forget what you wanted to achieve.
Tenancy issues or eviction
When your home goes with the job, the thought of a failing business is devastating. When faced with such a prospect, emotion can run high and it is not easy to handle everything without support – that is where FCN can help.
An FCN volunteer is able to act in an objective manner and can help you to plot the best course of action for you and your family.
Rural Payments Agency
For many farm businesses, the Basic Payment Scheme, Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes are a crucial element of farm income, making the difference between profitability and financial ruin. FCN does not have a magic wand but our volunteers are knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of dealing with the RPA and are able to offer help and support with these subsidies if things aren’t running as smoothly as they should be.
Bureaucracy
Just because you can grow barley doesn’t mean that you can find your way round a government form and the red tape can seem endless and completely unfathomable. The problem is you can’t ignore it and, if you try to, life becomes even more complex. An FCN volunteer will sit down with you and help you to find your way through it. It’s surprising how straight forward it can seem with a helping hand.
Business Partnerships
However firm a business relationship may be, there comes a time when changes will become necessary. This can be a difficult time for all concerned and it is possible that there is no clear way forward. FCN volunteers can be on hand to support everyone who is involved and to act in a non-judgemental role to help resolve the difficulties. These will vary in every case but could include pension, property or succession issues (see Family section)
Remember:
Are any of these things worrying you or someone you know in farming? Maybe there are other problems not mentioned here which you need to talk to someone about?
Please call our Helpline 03000 111 999 – we may be able to help.