£1000 Donation to the Farm Crisis Network, but do I really need a photograph??

This morning saw me up bright and early leaving home before 7am to keep a breakfast appointment at the Great Yorkshire Show at 8.30am

Incredibly I had to queue to get in to the Showground-a vast area-and then had to find Stand 614!!

I made it and renewed acquaintances with friends and colleagues from the Tenant Farmers Association (of which I am a recommended professional) and was warmly welcomed by all especially the Farm Crisis Network people.

We do a lot of work with farmers in North Yorkshire and South Durham and many of them have a very tough and solitary existence-the FCN supports them practically, emotionally and financially.

On the 22nd May the TFA organised a sponsored walk to raise funds for FCN. Normally I would have taken part BUT the Latimer Hinks Charity Ball was held on the 21st May - which resulted in a very late night/early morning for me! I was in no fit state to attend a lengthy walk but felt we needed to support this very worthy cause.

The ball raised £11,500 with monies going to Help for Heroes, St Teresa's Hospice and smaller local charities. We chose the Farm Crisis Network to be one of our "smaller charities." We wanted to support them by handing over a donation of £1000 from the fund.

Andrea my Marketing PA insisted that this was not just a case of me handing over a cheque-I had to find a beast, a cow, a pig or a sheep to be photographed with –and, as you can see by the photo I duly obliged.

We are making huge efforts to try and encourage farmers and the farming community to look at succession planning-and the TFA and FCN and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society are working with us to get the message out there-very much a case of a joined up approach.