County Update
County Meeting
Worcestershire members attended a virtual meeting on Monday to get an update on Family Farm Tax. County Chairman Oliver Surman and Council Delegate James Appleby discussed the debate that had happened over both days of the recent NFU Council meeting. The NFU position was decided at Council, with the majority of Council members being in favour. It was decided to suggest members donate their pre-loved toy tractors to create a visual display on the steps of the Treasury on 25th February, ahead of NFU Conference to represent all the children who could be robbed of their inheritance. These will then be donated to children’s charities
Malvern Hills District Council Meeting
There was a lively debate at Malvern Hills District Council this week around writing to the Government to raise the threshold for APR and BPR to £5 million. After much discussion, a new motion was proposed removing the £5 million threshold. But chair and CEO of Council will write to Government asking them to think again on IHT. The NFU had attended the meeting in support of the ambition and asked members across all political parties to work together on this.
The full proposal agreed by the Committee was as follows:
“Executive Committee instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Government on behalf of the Council to ask it to think again about the impact that the proposed inheritance tax changes will have on small and medium sized farms, and that it finds another way to target institutional and private landowners who buy farmland seeking to shelter their wealth from taxation that does not penalise small and medium sized farms, and that Executive Committee commits to work with our existing Rural Community Builder, members, NFU and other organisations to consult on the future of the role and explore other ways to provide support to farmers and rural communities.”
NFU Legal Panel Firm Shakespeare Martineau Tailoring Your Succession Plan for Business Owners webinar
Date
5 March 2025
Venue & Timings
9:30am - 10:30am via Zoom
In light of recent changes to inheritance tax reliefs announced in the October 2024 Budget, it’s more crucial than ever for business owners to adopt effective succession planning strategies. The first budget of the new government introduces significant announcements that could impact family businesses, potentially leading to higher tax liabilities and jeopardising the future you’ve worked tirelessly to build.
This webinar will be chaired by Paul Hardman who will also be joined by industry experts Julia Rosenbloom, Verity Kirby, and Debra Burton for an insightful webinar designed to guide you through key aspects of succession planning. This session will cover tax strategies and legal concepts to ensure a smooth transition for your business, preparing you for the complexities of a new tax era.
There will be an opportunity for Q&As, and you may also put forward your questions in advance to [email protected]
Register to attend here: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Impacts of Flooding & Drought
The impacts of flooding and drought on farmers mental health as an evidence gap that needs filling.
Whilst there is evidence in other countries that floods and droughts have an impact on the mental health of the agricultural community, there is a gap in knowledge for the UK. The NFU is promoting this UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) survey on flooding and drought impacts on mental health of farmers in England because the results will fill this important evidence gap and add weight to the NFU’s lobbying on flooding and water resources. The survey, available here, takes 15-20 minutes, is anonymous (unless you decide otherwise) and is open until 28 February 2025
NFU Midlands Younger Member Events
The next Midlands regional event will be on 5 March 2025 for more information and to register please click here
Farm for the Future – Royal Countryside Fund
Do you want help navigating agricultural policy changes including help with understanding ELMs and SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive)?
If you’re an owner-occupied or tenant farm in England that received BPS, The Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm for the Future programme is in its final year, offering a last chance for free support which includes a 1-2-1 session with a consultant to talk about your farm.
Its online workshops can be joined from the comfort of your own home via Zoom to help you and your farm business navigate policy changes and become more resilient and sustainable.
To find out more and sign up to the online group, contact Christina Hutchings via email [email protected] or call 07715 353 546 or visit www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/farmforthefuture
Be vigilant of scam callers
If you receive a call that looks like it is from NFU Headquarters and are unsure then please hang up, do not pass on any personal details.
You can contact NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458 to check if we are doing any calls or promotions.
Worcestershire Businesses access to Farming Recovery Fund
Defra will be writing to affected businesses in areas that have experienced exceptional levels of rainfall and outline what they are entitled to. There will be a flat payment rate, set in bands related to farm size, with the minimum being £2,895, with up to £25,000 at the top end. There will be no need for the business to prove entitlement; Defra will use mapping data to determine flooded land close to rivers, in counties most affected by flooding over this period, as well as rainfall data to establish other areas across the country which have experienced 70% higher rainfall than usual.
Farmers already contacted by the RPA and advised they are entitled to funding through the existing Storm Henk scheme will still be eligible as previously advertised and will receive at least the amount they’ve already been offered. They will receive payments based on the updated bands and minimum amount.
Defra has said farmers will have ‘the flexibility to spend the grant appropriately in their context and will not have to provide evidence of damage or costs or make further claims’.
For more information, visit: GOV.UK | Farming Recovery Fund expanded
Natural Networks Programme
The Natural Networks Programme is a Worcestershire-wide scheme offering grants and advice to projects which aim to create or restore wildlife-rich habitats. It is a partnership between Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.
The programme offers free professional Biodiversity surveys carried out by our partners the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust who will assess your project site and make recommendations on how to create or enhance your land to maximise habitats for wildlife.
Grants of £1,000 - £15,000 (representing 40% of the total project cost will be available to help you carry out the recommendations suggested in the survey.
The programme aim is to create a natural network of wildlife-rich habitats across Worcestershire that will enhance the quality of our blue and green infrastructure.
Further details can be found here: Natural Networks Programme | Worcestershire County Council
Applicants need to contact the programme manager, [email protected] to request a link to the registration application portal.
Farming in Protected Landscapes – We need more farmers to apply!
Defra is offering funding for projects in England’s Protected Landscapes through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme including the Malvern Hills AONB. It is for one-off projects and is not an agri-environment scheme. The programme is time limited: it opened in July 2021 and is due to end in March 2025. Funding is available for projects that reflect at least one of the four Farming in Protected Landscapes programme themes:
- Support NATURE recovery
- Mitigate the impacts of CLIMATE CHANGE
- Provide opportunities for PEOPLE to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
- Protect or improve the quality and character of the PLACE
Help is available to discuss and complete applications. Please contact Sash Warden Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Officer Tel: 01905 844686 Mob: 07873 616395 email: [email protected] who can give 1:1 help with your application. Read from a selection of case studies on the MHAOB website.
Cyber Crime
The Midlands NFU held an online member meeting with WMRCCU in autumn 2023, the opportunity to register with them is still available, this is aimed to improve your business’s cyber security.
With membership at the WMRCCU, you will receive regular tips and guidance on how to firm up your business’s cyber security.
Register to become a member (for free) today at www.wmcrc.co.uk/membership
Do you want financial support to upskill your staff?
SkillsBoost Worcestershire is a new programme to help you with the costs of upskilling and training YOUR employees.
In today’s competitive landscape, the requirement for enhanced skills and training poses a significant hurdle for many businesses, not just in Worcestershire but nationwide. Recognising this challenge, Worcestershire’s District Councils working with the County Council, has rolled out an innovative programme, designed to make training more accessible and affordable.
You can claim back 50% of the training costs, up to £6,000, for your Worcestershire based employees. This means that you can upskill or redeploy your employees to maximise their effectiveness.
Businesses of any size and sector are eligible for the programme as long as the employees they are looking to upskill or retrain reside in Worcestershire.
Funding for the SkillsBoost programme is limited on a first come first served basis and is only available from Tuesday 2 April 2024 until 31 March 2025.
To find out more about SkillsBoost and start your application, contact the Worcestershire Growth Hub team via their website or call 01905 677888.
Email – [email protected]
SkillsBoost is funded via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, distributed via all the District Councils in Worcestershire and delivered in partnership between Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Growth Hub.
Securing water for your businesses, resilience planning for the future meeting
Water Resources West (WRW) are planning for the future and would like to work with the sector to ensure water is available for agricultural use. WRW are keen to promote the development of Water Abstraction Groups, bringing agricultural abstractors together to navigate local water challenges.
Over 30 members attended the meeting to hear about the work of WRW and the support available for farmers interested in forming Water Abstraction Groups in Worcestershire. All were keen to get involved to help influence the agricultural elements of regional water resources planning into the future. It has been decided that we will form an WAG – a Water Abstraction Group for the Middle Severn and the Avon in Worcestershire so that members can collaborate to ensure a continued supply of water for their businesses in the future. If you were unable to attend, but would be interested in joining the Worcestershire WAG, please let County Adviser Emma Hamer know [email protected] or 07469 084691
Access Business Support to help your business
Worcestershire farmers and growers are being encouraged to engage with the Worcestershire Growth Hub to find out more about the support available for organisations. There is a variety of new business support, funding and grants available to help organisations across Worcestershire.
Local businesses are being encouraged to contact the Worcestershire Growth Hub team to find out how their growth could be supported. There is support available for businesses looking to upskill or train their staff, businesses looking to access specialist expert advice, funding for growth ambitions and much more.
Alongside this, organisations can also find out about all of the upcoming business support events via the Worcestershire Growth Hub’s events calendar. This events page pulls all of the available business support events being delivered in Worcestershire together into one place, regardless of the organiser, location or style of event. To contact the Worcestershire Growth Hub team: Call – 01905 677888 or email [email protected]
National Shire Horse Show 2025 – NFU Ticket Offer.
Shire horses will be put through their paces over three days of competition in various classes giving horse lovers a unique insight into the gentle giants of the horse world.
A spectacular weekend of family fun including: National Championships, Ridden Shire Horse Classes, Daily Grand Parade, Training and Education Lecture Theatre, Children’s play area including farm animals, Farriery Demonstrations, Access to stables, Agricultural classes.
Date
7 March – 9 March 2025
Venue & Timings
7.30am -6.30pm at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD
Booking
Advance tickets only 20% off for members with the code NFU20
Tickets available from https://www.shire-horse.org.uk/show-tickets
Children aged 4 and under are Free
Children aged 12 and under, go Free on Sunday
Worcestershire RABI Quiz
Save the Date.
We are working on the questions to the Worcestershire RABI quiz and have some great rounds already planned. Last year we raised £1300 for RABI - let's see if we can do that again this year.
Date
10 April 2025
Venue & Timings
TBC at Worcestershire YFC Centre, Shires Farm, Hawford.
Cost
Teams of 6. £10 per person. Snacks available to buy. Bring your own drinks
Booking
Reserve your team's place by contacting Kate Jones at [email protected] or Emma Hamer at [email protected]
Can Worcestershire win the champion title back from Warwickshire this year?????
Do you manage a Local Wildlife Site?
Help with carrying out surveys, looking at SFI options, and providing support with evidence for enhanced stewardship options could be available.
Your County Adviser, Emma Hamer met with Worcestershire Wildlife Trust this week to try to find a way for them to work more closely with farmers. Many of our members will have a local wildlife site on their farms -there around 537 sites covering 9,274ha in the County. This is 5% of Worcestershire and represents a significant proportion of the county’s best natural habitats.
Local Wildlife Sites could be owned and managed by anyone including private individuals, businesses, organisations and public bodies. In addition to Local Wildlife Site status being an acknowledgement of the positive long-term management of a site and its substantive value for wildlife, having a site listed as a Local Wildlife Site can also provide landowners with:
- Access to professional support for botanical survey and habitat management advice
- Enhanced access to environmental grants and green finance options
- Opportunities to diversify farming enterprises
It is also worth noting that a Local Wildlife Site listing does not grant any right of public access to land, does not justify a statutory designation and does not directly impose legal obligations on a landowner or directly affect current agricultural activity.
If you think you may own or manage a Local Wildlife Site then we would love to hear from you and see how we may help. You can reach the Worcestershire Local Wildlife Sites Partnership by sending them an email at [email protected]
Have Your Say on Mobile Connectivity in Worcestershire
Is your mobile signal letting your business down? Over 800 people have voiced their concerns already, but we need more feedback, especially from businesses. Despite Ofcom data suggesting strong outdoor coverage, many report disruptions to calls, maps, banking, and more.
Some even note a decline in service over the past year.
We’re collaborating with mobile operators to address problem areas, and your input is vital. Share your experiences by taking our short survey to help us target improvements where they’re needed most: Mobile Connectivity Problems