NatWest and Lombard partner with The Farming Community Network

NatWest and Lombard have announced a new partnership with the The Farming Community Network (FCN) aimed at strengthening mental health awareness and resilience across the UK’s farming community.

The initiative brings together one of the UK’s leading banks for agriculture, NatWest, its asset finance arm Lombard, and FCN, a voluntary organisation and charity dedicated to supporting farmers and their families during difficult times.

Recent research has highlighted that farmers face a higher risk of poor mental health compared with many other professions, driven by factors such as unpredictable weather, volatile markets, financial pressure and the responsibility of caring for land and livestock. With more than 40,000 farming customers nationwide, NatWest says it is uniquely positioned to identify customers who may be struggling, through its network of specialist agricultural relationship managers embedded in rural communities across the UK.

As part of the partnership, NatWest and Lombard’s agriculture sector colleagues have received dedicated training from FCN. The training equips frontline teams to recognise early signs of stress and mental health challenges among farmers and their families, enabling them to provide timely guidance and signpost customers to FCN’s wellbeing resources and support services.

Rachael Watson, Head of Agriculture at Lombard, said farming’s pressures can take a significant toll on wellbeing.

“Farming is more than a profession – it’s a way of life, shaped by unpredictable weather, market pressures and the immense responsibility for land and livestock,” she said. “As a bank serving over 40,000 farming customers across the UK, we believe it’s essential to support the wellbeing of the farming community. By partnering with FCN and embedding wellbeing awareness into every customer interaction, we’re committed to ensuring farmers and their families have access to practical support.”

Georgina Lamb, Head of Partnerships at FCN, said the collaboration would help extend the charity’s reach at a time of growing need.

“We’re thrilled to partner with NatWest and Lombard to further our mission of supporting farmers and farming families during challenging times,” she said. “By working together, we can reach more people with essential information, resources and a listening ear, helping them manage stress and build resilience for the future.”