The team at NPC Rothbury is working in partnership with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) to better support the unique needs of local rural and farming communities.

RABI has been supporting farming families across England and Wales for more than 150 years, offering a range of financial, practical and emotional support. This includes access to a confidential helpline for farmers and their families, as well as counselling services and mental health support through an online chat portal.

NPC began working with RABI in 2025 as part of its wider commitment to tackling health inequalities. The organisation recognises that people within the farming community can experience distinct pressures compared to the general population, including isolation, financial uncertainty and the impact of external factors such as weather and market conditions. Building a deeper understanding of these challenges is key to ensuring services are responsive, accessible and tailored to those who need them most.

As part of this collaboration, Dr Jack Lamb, Executive GP at NPC Rothbury, attended a one-day Mental Health First Aid training course delivered by RABI in January 2026. The training explored the specific mental health challenges faced by farming communities and aimed to assess how similar learning opportunities could be rolled out more widely across NPC, particularly in practices serving rural populations.

Speaking about the experience, Dr Lamb said: “As a clinician, I have undertaken extensive training in mental health provision, but what stood out most during this course was the focus on the particular challenges faced by the farming community. These can include weather uncertainty, rising costs and labour shortages, all of which can have a significant impact on wellbeing.

“By working closely with RABI, we aim to equip our teams with the knowledge and resources they need to deliver even better care and support to patients living and working in rural communities.”

Margaux Manners, Business Development Manager at RABI said: “It’s great to be working with NPC to expand the knowledge of the team about RABI and the services we offer to the farming community. As well as supporting the NPC team to expand their knowledge about farming and the every day factors that come with it that can be major stressors.”