Bishop Nick Baines led a strong team of our senior clergy onto the slightly damp fields of the Great Yorkshire Show to meet and talk with farming action groups and other people who support rural communities.
Guided by Revd Canon Leslie Morley, honorary chaplain to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, he and Bishop Anna Eltringham, Dean John Dobson, Dean Simon Cowing and Dean Andy Bowerman heard about current issues from retired hill farmer Richard Betton of the National Farmers Union’s Hill Farming Council.
The son of a vicar and a churchwarden in Forest-in-Teesdale, Mr Betton explained the modern complexities of balancing tight profit margins and bureaucracy with the new issue of extreme weather variations caused by climate change.
He said farmers in remote areas often felt stressed and isolated and said how the church continues to play a part in supporting those in need.
At the Yorkshire Churches On Show stand, behind the main ring, Bishop Nick met Liz Shores, teacher and lay chaplain at St Aidan’s School, Harrogate who was there with helpers Miranda and Danni and Bishop Anna chatted with Frances Langford of St Andrews, Starbeck.
The National Farmers Union’s new vice president is Rachel Hollis from Ripponden and she and other NFU leaders explained to the diocesan group how work was needed to combat low confidence levels amongst the agricultural communities. She said a range of financial uncertainties regarding future land use and international price pressures had made heavy impacts on farmers and their families in recent years.
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution does valuable work in supporting the farming community and offers a 24 hour helpline for those seeking helpful conversations in times of stress.
Bishop Nick visited its stand on the way for more conversations with the Country Landowners Association, about how there needed to be joined-up action to maximise the good use of the countryside for the benefit of both rural and urban communities.
Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven, Jonathan Gough was also at the show and opened its second day with prayers in the bandstand, where he was joined by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.
