RSABI – the charity which provides emotional, financial and practical support to people in Scottish agriculture – has launched a new free-to-call helpline number.

The easy-to-remember freephone number – 0808 1234 555 – will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round to ensure farmers, crofters and others involved in Scottish agriculture can access support at any time of day or night.

The new number, which will not appear on phone bills, has been launched as part of a move by the charity, which is this year celebrating its 125th anniversary, to ensure it offers the best possible service.

RSABI expressed its gratitude to the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland for providing funding of £16,000 towards the cost of running the Helpline and also to the Scottish Government, which provided £15,000 to assist with its set-up costs.

“Our aim is to provide a friendly, professional, and confidential service for people of all ages, involved in a wide range of roles in Scottish agriculture and our message is very much that we are here for everyone in times of need,” said RSABI chair David Leggat.

“With challenging times expected in the coming months, we are also calling on people throughout the industry to help us to spread the word and increase awareness of RSABI’s wide range of services. We can provide financial help – including Help with Heating grants and a range of domestic items – as well as farm reviews and practical help with steps to get people back on track.”

Demand for emotional support from the agricultural community has stepped up significantly in the past year and is now the biggest area of support offered by the charity. RSABI is able to arrange counselling sessions very quickly when required, at a time when a referral via a GP could take months.

“We are pleased that more and more working farmers are reaching out to us," said RSABI welfare manager Chris McVey. "In recent months we have seen some exceptional results in terms of the mental health of farmers – aged in their twenties upwards – who we have referred to our professional counsellors.

“We are pleased that emotional wellbeing – and the steps to maintain and improve this – is increasingly being freely discussed in the agricultural community. This is very encouraging, and we are reminding people that, they can also contact us on behalf of an individual they may have concerns about, to get the ball rolling, as long as they have been given permission to do so.”

Read more: RSABI launches 'Challenges' to celebrate 125-year anniversary

The charity plans to launch a range of initiatives during the coming 12 months, as well as extending its existing services. Work is underway on a new website aimed at clearly communicating the wide range of support it offers, in a way which is easy to navigate and resonates with both young and old. As part of this a web chat function will be added to the website this summer to further extend the ways people can reach out for support.

RSABI’s 2022 Great Glen Challenge event has a new sponsor, United Auctions, and a #Challenge125 initiative, aimed at collectively clocking up 125,000 kms, will start at the Royal Highland Show in June and run until the Great Glen Challenge on August 26.

The charity's Supporters’ Scheme has now been firmly established as a cornerstone of its 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.