Get business help from a farming mentor

Mentoring offers experienced support from outside the family or business, building confidence and helping with decision making.

Those signed up to a farming mentor scheme are already feeling the benefit of having someone independent to talk to, from the sector and who they feel they can trust, said mentoring manager Phil Bramhall of Get Mentoring in Farming (GMiF).

Those interested in offering or receiving support through the scheme need to register by the end of March. In farming, a group approached seemed to be working well, providing support to larger numbers, said Mr Bramall.

See also: Mentoring scheme for entrants is a success

GMiF already has 75 farmer mentees who will receive support and 213 farm and agri-business mentors who have registered to offer support. The aim is to recruit and train 200 volunteer business mentors from farming.  

The first group mentoring initiative is run by third generation Cornwall farmer Andrew Brewer, of Ennis Barton Farm, at St Columb. A second group in north-west England is being developed.

The Get Mentoring in Farming programme is run by the SFEDI Group, which sets standards for business support. It is supported by Lloyds Banking Group, Lantra, the British Bankers’ Association, The Farming Community Network, Waitrose and the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

For support from Get Mentoring in Farming, register before 31 March by emailing  mentormanager@getmentoringinfarming.org.uk or telephone Mr Bramhall on 01325 307 336.