RSABI marks 125 years of support for Scottish farming

The rural charity RSABI is set to mark 125 years of supporting people in Scottish agriculture with a series of events throughout the course of its milestone year.

RSABI 125th Anniversary Pete Black, Kirsty Macaskill (RSABI), David Leggat (Chairman RSABI) and Ronnie Black

The charity, which was established on April 7th 1897, plans to launch a range of initiatives during the coming 12 months as well as extending its existing services to those in need in the countryside.

Now known simply as RSABI, the organisation was initially set up as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution in 1897 during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee year with the aim of helping the many who had fallen on hard times during a period which marked one of the worst agricultural depressions on record.

And the royal connection has continued with her Majesty the Queen acting as patron of RSABI for her entire 70-year reign.

While the original focus was on helping Scottish tenant farmers in need - and at its first AGM the funds available supported 16 “pensioners” to each receive £20 per year – the organisation’s remit has expanded significantly and now offers practical, financial and emotional help to anyone in a way which is both sympathetic to and targeted at the needs of the industry and anyone with a background in farming.

Current chair of the organisation, well known auctioneer and former chief at United Auctions, David Leggat, said:

“Over the years, RSABI has evolved significantly and now supports many hundreds of people of all ages across the agricultural industry each year.

“During the months ahead we will be launching a pilot programme for young people in Scottish agriculture and we are keen to ensure that people of all ages are aware that RSABI is here for them.”

As well as extending its Helpline services this month, the charity said it was working on a new website aimed at communicating the wide range of support which it offers suitable for both the young and more senior.

And on the fund-raising front, RSABI said that its plans for this year’s major event – the 2022 Great Glen Challenge - would be announced shortly, including a new sponsor for the event

The Supporters’ Scheme has now been firmly established as a cornerstone of the charity’s income stream and a target of 125 new individual, business and corporate supporters from all parts of the industry has been set for the year.

Plans are also afoot to mark the 125th anniversary with a St Andrew’s dinner on December 2nd and details of the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

“During our anniversary year we will very much be celebrating the extraordinary people involved in Scottish agriculture and thanking everyone who, in a huge variety of ways, supports the work undertaken by RSABI,” said Carol McLaren, Chief Executive of RSABI.

“The support from farming and crofting families and agricultural businesses which has built up over 125 years is a huge strength which underpins the work we do for people facing difficult times,” she added.