Churches Support Foot and Mouth Farming Community

Local clergy and rural chaplains, working with the Farm Crisis Network, are providing pastoral care and support to farmers directly affected by the protection and surveillance zones set up in Surrey following the local outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

The Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), a partnership between the Royal Agricultural Society of England, the national churches and the Rank Foundation, the churches rural resources unit, is providing back up and help as needed.

During the national foot and mouth epidemic in 2001, the ARC set up the ARC-Addington Fund that distributed £10.3 million to farmers in 15 months.

"The Farming Help charities are providing support to the wider farming community across Britain for those anxious about the outbreak of foot and mouth," said Dr Jill Hopkinson, the Church of England's National Rural Officer.

"For some this will bring back difficult memories of the 2001 outbreak, while a prolonged national movement ban on all cattle, sheep, goats, deer and pigs will have a severe impact on cash flows for many.

"Financial hardship is a real concern, particularly among farmers who were expecting to sell stock about this time and in such a difficult year following the recent severe weather.

The ARC-Addington Fund is currently concentrating on hardship grants for flood affected farmers and will monitor the situation with concern, with a view to taking a final decision on Monday 13 August on the availability of hardship grants relating directly to foot and mouth.

The Rt Rev Christopher Hill, Bishop of Guildford, in whose diocese the outbreak was reported, said, "My thoughts and prayers are with the farmers, the people at Wanborough, Wyke, Elstead and Wood Street and all involved in investigating and containing this outbreak both locally and at a wider level.

"Having seen the impact of foot and mouth at close hand in Staffordshire in 2001, I am aware of its enormous emotional and practical costs and the terrible isolation of those in the communities affected."

Prayers for those affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease have been posted on the Church of England website at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers/.

Farmers in severe financial difficulty currently should contact Farming Help on 07002 326326. For all other enquiries regarding the ARC-Addington Fund contact (024) 7669 0587.

Those from non-agricultural businesses, or others from the rural community not directly engaged in farming, who are experiencing stress or distress at this time can call the Rural Stress Helpline on (024) 7641 2916.