Farming welfare charity RABI is showing its support for British beef farmers by holding a fundraising Sunday lunch at Maria’s award-winning mart café at the Monmouthshire Livestock Centre on Sunday May 15.

The newly-formed Monmouthshire committee of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) is organising the lunch, which will tie in with Great British Beef Week (April 23 to May 2). Great British Beef Week is a campaign organised by Ladies in Beef, a group of female beef farmers who want to promote Red Tractor assured British beef, in conjunction with charity partner RABI

Last year, RABI gave out grants of £1.9 million to farming people in financial hardship. In Wales, more than £263k was paid out in 2015 to 200 individuals and families from the farming sector. To fund its work, RABI relies heavily on voluntary donations, investment income and money raised at events arranged by county volunteer committees, businesses, community groups and fundraising staff.

More than 200 people attended Monmouthshire’s inaugural fundraiser earlier this year, a quiz night, which raised £3k. Now, organisers are looking to follow up on that impressive effort while promoting the quality and versatility of British beef.

RABI Monmouthshire county committee chairman Gwilym Richards said, “Many farming families are having a tough time at the moment, which means the work RABI does today is as vital as it was when the charity was first formed in 1860.

Kate Beavan, Monmouthshire county committee secretary, added, “The support we received for our quiz night was tremendous, so we hope the Monmouthshire farming community will get behind us again for this lunch. We are extremely grateful to David, Phillip and Robert Sevenoaks of Abergavenny (trading as Weeks Cardiff) for donating the beef.”

Linda Jones, RABI regional manager for Wales, added, “Our beef farmers need the backing of consumers, which is why we want people to always look out for the Red Tractor logo so that they know their meat is fully traceable from farm to fork.”

Tickets for the Monmouthshire lunch on May 15 (12.30pm for 1pm sit down) cost £15 and can be obtained by contacting Gwilym & Heather Richards on 01600 860 300 or Neil Smith on 07885 257 788.