Click on the Case Studies below to see the difference that Cheshire Rural Trust can make:

• Agricultural Chaplaincy

• Farmers Market

• Henbury Millenium Green

Agricultural Chaplaincy

FARMERS are an independent breed, rarely willing to seek help from doctors and other established services even though they may be facing dire financial, physical and emotional need.

Cheshire’s Agricultural Chaplaincy was formed in 2000 to provide a non-threatening and informal route throughout which farmers could seek support for themselves and their families.

Initially the full time chaplain Keith Ineson was funded by the Salvation Army and in 2001 his services were stretched to the limit when the impact of foot and mouth disease devastated the lives of Cheshire’s farmers.

Sadly the Salvation Army, among others, was unable to continue funding the chaplaincy, which is when Churches in Cheshire, supported by a grant from Cheshire Rural Trust, stepped in to continue this vital service.

Cheshire’s agricultural chaplain Keith Ineson, formerly a farmer himself who is no stranger to the problems facing the agricultural industry or to the severe depression it can cause, explains why his role is so vital.

“The life of farmers has been turn upside down in recent years and farmers are suffering so much by what’s happening in the countryside at the present.

“The threat to our way of life has never been greater so my role is to seek out people who are struggling and offer whatever help and support I can.”

His role includes working with farmers and their families, even landlords where necessary, to bring people back from the brink of despair. Farmers told him that they had callers to check on VAT, animal welfare, health and safety and so on, but no one ever asked how they were.

“About 90% of the people I see are suffering from some level of depression which can range from stress to severe illness which requires hospitalisation.

“My role is to encourage people to seek proper help and I can do that through encouraging them to visit their doctors, arrange debt counselling, marriage counselling and access to any other support they need.

“Supporting farmers and their families through times of hardship and crisis, and seeing their mental and physical health return, is the most rewarding thing I have ever done,” said Keith.

Even though the Agricultural Chaplaincy is a Christian-based service, it isn’t evangelical and Keith doesn’t discuss spiritual or religious matters unless people want to.

He said: “We provide a practical service to the entire farming community to help people regain control of their finances, their farms and their lives – and it works.”

The chaplaincy service is so successful and in such demand that Keith is currently taking on about four new cases every month and is currently seeking funding to take on an additional chaplain.

“Without support from organisations from Cheshire Rural Trust this vital service would have struggled to survive during a period of dire need,” said Keith.

To contact the rural chaplain visit www.agchap.co.uk