The Farming Life Centre

28/08/2026

Check out our upcoming events and meetings in September

27/08/2026

RABI Emergency Drought Grant – Derbyshire farmers

£2,000 support available for farming households affected by drought
RABI has launched a new Emergency Drought Grant, providing £2,000 towards personal and household living costs for eligible farm owners and tenant farmers experiencing significant financial pressure as a result of the drought.
📍 Derbyshire applications open 5–9 October 2026 as part of RABI’s Midlands application phase.
To be eligible, you must:
• Be an actively operating farm owner or tenant farmer
• Have your principal farming business in an officially designated drought area
• Be experiencing significant personal or household financial pressure linked to the impact of drought on your farming business
The grant is for personal and household living costs, rather than farm or business expenses.
📄 Before applying, you’ll need either recent farm business accounts (from the last two years) or a farm business bank statement from the last month, with your name clearly shown.
⚠️ Funding is limited and the application window may close early if the allocation is used, so RABI recommends applying as soon as the Derbyshire/Midlands phase opens.
Find out more, check eligibility and prepare your application here: RABI Emergency Drought Grant 2026
If you need support or aren't sure whether you're eligible, RABI's free, confidential 24/7 helpline is 0800 188 4444.

RABI has launched a £2M Emergency Drought Grant programme to provide £2,000 grants towards personal and household expenditure for eligible farm owners and tenant farmers experiencing significant financial pressure as a result of the impact of drought across England and Wales.

25/08/2026

Join us for September's Tiny Farmer's Group !

21/08/2026

Farm Resilience Programme – Policy & Funding Update

Join us for our next Farm Resilience Programme workshop on:

📅 Wednesday 9th September
🕖 7pm
📍 The Cowshed Café, Millers Dale

We’ll be joined by Amy Cooper from Chandler Watson to look at the latest changes and what they could mean for farming businesses across the Peak District.

We’ll cover:
🔹 2026 policy changes, including SFI26 Windows 1 & 2
🔹 Which schemes and payments you may be eligible for
🔹 Key requirements and deadlines
🔹 What the changes could mean for your own farm business
🔹 Where to find further advice and support

The session is completely free and supper will be provided.

Spaces are limited, so booking is essential.

👉 To book your place, contact Tony at [email protected]

19/08/2026

Farming Life Centre Walks for Health. October-December 2026 schedule. For any further information please contact Pauline Bramley 07538785666

16/08/2026

Addington Fund- 2026 Drought and Bluetongue Emergency Grants

At Addington Fund, we know that many farming families across England and Wales are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances. The ongoing drought, combined with the impact of the bluetongue outbreak, is placing significant pressure on livestock farms and creating additional worries at an already

11/08/2026

Peak Pantry – Affordable Food for the Community
At locations across the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales every week

A new weekly service, Peak Pantry, is bringing affordable groceries and essentials to people across the Derbyshire Dales and High Peak.

The community pantry van, run by Zink, offers a range of staple groceries and prices are generally 50-70% lower than supermarkets.

Items include tinned foods, tea, coffee and hot chocolate, packets of pasta and rice, cooking sauces, biscuits, cereals, nappies, toiletries and more.

All are welcome – feel free to pop by and have a look, and find out more about what they offer.

By joining as a member, you’ll be able to shop with them as often as you like. Membership costs £5 for the year and includes a bag of 10 pantry items when you sign up.

They accept cash and card payments. Please bring a bag!

To contact please text 07497 574411 or email [email protected]

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peakpantry/

10/08/2026

This months meeting, with Geoff Eyre. Please book on with Emma on the number below or on the Whatsapp Group.

A meeting not to be missed Wednesday 19th August at 6.45pm

06/08/2026

Operation SharkNet is coming to Derbyshire

Operation SharkNet is raising awareness of loan sharks and offering advice and support across Derbyshire.

📍 Drop-in sessions across Derbyshire:

Monday 24 August
• 11.45am–2pm – Brimington Foodbank, St Michael’s Church Hall, Brimington
• 2.15–4.30pm – Bolsover Library

Tuesday 25 August
• 9.30–11.30am – Heanor Library
• 12.30–3.30pm – Long Eaton Health Centre
• 4–6pm – Ilkeston Library

Wednesday 26 August
• 9.30–11.30am – St Oswald’s Hospital, Ashbourne
• 12–2pm – County Hall, Matlock
• 2.30–4.30pm – Agricultural Business Centre, Bakewell

Thursday 27 August
• 10am–12pm – Matlock Library
• 3–5pm – The Arc, Clowne

Friday 28 August
• 10.30am–1pm – SDCVS Foodbank, Swadlincote

If you’re worried about illegal lending, confidential help is available.

0300 555 2222
www.https://www.stoploansharks.co.uk/

03/08/2026