Ashcombe Village Club raises over £20,000 for farming charity
The Ashcombe Village Hall, nr Dawlish, was packed last week (11 March), when guests from all over Devon joined together for the annual Addington Fund Farmhouse Breakfast.
Farmers, locals and supporters enjoyed a full English breakfast cooked by Shepherd Shack Catering and had a much- needed catch up with friends and neighbours.
The event raised over £2,700 for farming charity Addington Fund which tips the total raised for the charity by Ashcombe Village Club to over £20,000 in the last 11 years! This incredible amount of money goes back into the charity’s work supporting farmers and farm workers with housing, emergency animal feed deliveries and grants when disaster strikes.
“We’ve been coming down to Ashcombe for over a decade now and it’s always such a great morning. The fundraising today is important, but this breakfast is also a great social event. Rural isolation is a real issue in farming and sometimes just by getting off farm for an hour can give a huge lift to your mood,” said Sue English, Addington Fund Director.
“It was great to see farmers who were in the middle of lambing, pop along for breakfast and a chat, before heading back to the lambing shed”
“It’s been another very difficult year for farmers: the bad weather, animal disease and we’ve seen lots of changes from the new government. Farming is a challenging industry and it’s events like this that help us keep supporting hardworking farmers and rural families when they need it.”
Ralph Rayner from Aschombe Estate organises the breakfast and said “I am proud to have chaired the Ashcombe Village Club’s Committee since 2012, and to see all that it does to bring people together. Once upon a time the village was quietly in decline, so to see our successful local economy and social club’s activities and fundraising events, really does lift the spirit and keep us all incentivised to do more.
“We have supported Addington Fund for many years now, as their charity remit stands close to our hearts living in such a rural area. As we know, farmers are the backbone of this country and without food security the nation could starve. Supporting agricultural charities like Addington Fund is vital to continue helping farmers when times get tough.
“Over the years we have organised many fundraising activities for this fantastic charity, and I am thrilled to be able to say that we have now raised over £20,000! It’s a phenomenal amount of money, which we know has gone directly to farmers who ask for help from Addington Fund.”
Scott Harrison-Jones, Owner, Shepherd Shack who cater the breakfasts said, “It's a real privilege to support Addington Fund and cater for the Farmhouse Breakfast.
“Our farmers are the backbone of our country’s food security and deserve to know that they will be looked after, just as they look after us. Farmers not only make up our personal community but our business community too, as we source local ingredients wherever possible. We’re genuinely thrilled that this event raises funds and contributes to a really proactive charity.”
Addington would like to say a special thank you to: Ralph Rayner and the Ashcombe Estate, BDF Fresh Produce for the generous donation of ingredients, the members of Ashcombe Village Club for their support and hard work on the day and Shepherd’s Shack for the delicious breakfast.
Addington Fund’s next event in Devon is the Devon Farm Business Awards on 14th May, the night before the Devon County Show, where farmers from across the county will be celebrated for their achievements.
Find out more information about the work of Addington Fund . Read more about The Ashcombe Estate.