Farm charity Rabi to sell off care homes

Farming families have reacted with sadness and dismay after a flagship agricultural charity unveiled plans to sell off its residential care homes.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi) said the two care homes – in Suffolk and Somerset – were no longer in demand by farming people.

See also: Rabi offers wellbeing support service

Founded in 1860 to support farming families and their children, Rabi is farming’s oldest and largest charity.

The homes were established in the 1980s to care for people from farming backgrounds – although other residents are welcomed where capacity allows.

Supporters who have raised thousands of pounds for Rabi told Farmers Weekly they were disappointed by the decision to sell the homes.

Norfolk landowner and farmer John White said he only became aware of the 18-month review after Rabi announced it had decided to sell the homes.

“I am gutted – absolutely gutted,” Sir John told Farmers Weekly.

Quality service

Both residential homes have been praised for the quality of service they provide.

A £6m refurbishment of Manson House care home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was completed in 2015.

Two years later, Beaufort House in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, was rated as “outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission.

Sussex farmer Jenny Passmore, whose mother Mary was a Beaufort House resident, said she was disappointed at the decision to sell.

“I’m extremely sad they are selling them off,” she said.

“My mother was really happy there. I am upset – but I suppose it is changing times.”

‘Difficult decision’

Rabi said its trustees had made the difficult decision to sell the two homes after an 18-month review supported by external care sector specialists.

Rabi chief executive Alicia Chivers said individuals increasingly wanted to receive care at home or within the local community.

Established to deliver a traditional “home from home” service, the two homes were also unable to support people with more complex needs, she said.

This included specialist dementia care, which had resulted in a decline in the number of farming people being supported at both homes.

Both homes will be sold as going concerns – although Rabi said sales of this type typically took some time and it didn’t anticipate a quick process.

More support

All current Rabi beneficiaries at the two sites would continue to receive all necessary financial support so they could continue living at the homes after the sale.

Rabi’s royal charter was amended in 1999 to extend support to include farmworkers as well as farmers.

During the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis, the charity paid out almost £9m in nine months to more than 8,000 families.

Ms Chivers said selling the homes would help Rabi to offer more support to the wider farming community.

She added: “The release of monies will absolutely enable Rabi to support more farming people – either within their own homes or more locally.”

Rabi’s programme of support would be significantly increased to the benefit of the farming community across England and Wales, she added.