Finance Score: 6

Governance Score: 5

Support Score: 10

Liabilities <10%: +3
Excess liquidity: -1
Reasonable growth: +1
Fundraising costs low: +3

12+ Trustees: -1
Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +7

Overall GiG Score: 21

THE FARMING COMMUNITY NETWORK

Supporting members of the farming community who are going through difficult times. Running a confidential, national helpline and e-helpline which is open every day of the year from 7am - 11pm. Working with different stakeholders, including government bodies, agricultural organisations, healthcare services and other "Farming Help" charities, who are critical to the successful outcome of cases.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
This charity has a robust balance sheet
There has been reasonable growth in spending over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
Fundraising costs are low relative to funds raised
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

There are 14 trustees whereas the Charities Commission recommends a maximum of 12

Financial issues to consider:

Liquidity appeared to be in excess of CC guidelines at the latest year end

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23		£963	£913	£49	£59	£1,391	£1,293	17	21	400
31/03/22		£966	£768	£199	£52	£1,363	£1,306	20.4	22	400
31/03/21		£787	£601	£186	£51	£1,160	£918	18.3	21	420
31/03/20		£975	£771	£204	£54	£974	£814	12.7	17	435
31/03/19		£903	£603	£300	£61	£770	£639	12.7	9	410
31/03/18		£634	£551	£83	£41	£470	£411	9	9	0
31/03/17		£414	£492	£-78	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16		£436	£526	£-90	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15		£460	£484	£-24	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14		£639	£456	£183	£118	£579	£494	13	6	0
31/03/13		£462	£370	£92	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/12		£424	£367	£57	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/11		£308	£352	£-44	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/10		£213	£371	£-158	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/09		£316	£396	£-80	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/08		£802	£431	£372	£82	£530	£405	11.3	8	0
31/03/07		£364	£343	£20	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/06	*	£239	£299	£-59	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£154	£274	£-120	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04		£133	£317	£-185	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 6.2%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 6.5%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 11%
Highest pay band: £80,000-£90,000
Liabilities/Assets: 3%
Liabilities/Income: 4%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 93%
Reserves/Spending: 17 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 11 months
Quick Ratio: 23.1

Asset Split ?

Established: 21 years

www.fcn.org.uk

mail@fcn.org.uk

01788510866

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

GiG Classification

Community services

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Sponsors or undertakes research

Where it operates

Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Other Defined Groups
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

21 employees
400 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	£97,500
DCMS	£50,000
Wates Foundation	£20,000
Co-Operative Group	£11,609

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Farming Community Network
£1,222	22/10/2022	We plan to increase and maintain our presence at local livestock markets to improve outreach support to the local farming community.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Farming Community Network (Melton Mowbray)
£4,064	23/10/2021	We would like to increase and maintain a presence at our local livestock market in Melton Mowbray; in turn, improving outreach support to the local farming community.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Farming Community Network (FCN)
£2,709	23/10/2021	We would like to increase and maintain a presence at markets and shows, improving outreach support to the local farming community.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Farming Community Network (Dolgellau)
£3,614	23/10/2021	We would like to increase our outreach work at Dolgellau Market through recruitment and training of additional volunteers, in order to greater support the local farming community.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Funding to ensure rural charity services are better equipped to support and advise farmers (and their families) impacted by traumatic events such as Covid 19
£60,000	08/06/2021	The grant fund is for Farming Help to support a training, research and communication project, which would help plan and ensure that staff and volunteers are better equipped to provide services to ....more The grant fund is for Farming Help to support a training, research and communication project, which would help plan and ensure that staff and volunteers are better equipped to provide services to meet the needs of the farming community through large-scale traumatic events, i.e., Covid and EU exit will continue to impact the farming community for a while.
Masonic Trust - MCF Matched Funding
£500	26/01/2021	Unrestricted matched funding in partnership with the local masonic province
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£50,000	09/10/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
Wates Foundation - The Farming Community Network
£20,000	16/04/2020	To increase FCN Helpline capacity and improve casefile recording system.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Grant: Farming Community Network
£37,500	01/06/2019	Farming Community Network
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Farming Community Network (FCN)
£4,316	19/11/2018	We need to provide vital dementia, mental health awareness and suicide training to all helpline and local volunteers.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (14)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 39-76

AMY JANE DIXON Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Solicitor

BARBARA AMA ANSAH PANFU BRAY Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Food Industry Consultant

MARK ANDREW EVERETT SUTHERN Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Head Of Agriculture

REV MATTHEW NEIL JEFFREY Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Chief Executive

STUART FRANCIS ROBERTS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Farmer

DAVID STUART DEGGE LODDER Appointed: 2015, Occupation: Solicitor, Other trusteeships: THE HOWARD AND JOYCE FIELD CHARITABLE MEMORIAL TRUST, KENILWORTH & DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, HENLEY IN ARDEN GUILD HALL TRUST,

GILES RICHARD BOWRING Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeships: CLA CHARITABLE TRUST, AUSTWICK CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL, HARROGATE LADIES' COLLEGE LIMITED, THE CRAVEN TRUST, SKIPTON BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION,

OLIVIA HELMORE Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Public Relations

PETER THOMAS HAVERS Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Farmer/Holiday Homes

ROGER MALLABER MERCER Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Farmer/Businessman, Other trusteeship: Mercer Family Charitable Foundation,

REV MARK JAMES RYLANDS Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Bishop, Other trusteeships: BUCKLAND RUDDYCLEAVE CHARITY, THE CHURCH LANDS CHARITY (EXCLUSIVE OF EDUCATION FOUNDATION), THE MELANESIAN MISSION,

ROBERT DAVID WALROND Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Farmer

SALLY LOUISE STEADMAN Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Head Of External Relations

SIR MARK HUDSON Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Retired

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 11/02/2003, number: 1095919
Registered at Companies House on 02/05/2002, number: 04429778

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Event History

21/05/2021 - Asset transfer in from BEDFORDSHIRE AND CAMBRIDGESHIRE RURAL SUPPORT GROUP
13/09/2021 - Asset transfer in from NOTTINGHAMSHIRE RURAL SUPPORT

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

20 returns made; AR06: 1 days late,

Recent reorganisation events:

Asset transfer in from BEDFORDSHIRE AND CAMBRIDGESHIRE RURAL SUPPORT GROUP on 21/05/2021
Asset transfer in from NOTTINGHAMSHIRE RURAL SUPPORT on 13/09/2021

Main office

MANOR FARM
GUILSBOROUGH ROAD
WEST HADDON
NORTHAMPTON
NN6 7AQ

Objectives

The relief of hardship and distress, amongst persons living and working in the agricultural, horticultural and related communities, by the provision of pastoral and practical support underpinned by a Christian ethos (?the Objects?).

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED.

Data Sources