ABP offering prize of £20,000 shed in fundraising drive for farming charity

The agri-food business ABP is marking 25 years at the Balmoral Show with the replacement of its traditional corporate marquee with a 21.6m long x 15.2m agricultural shed. Visitors to Balmoral will have the chance to win it or an alternative cash prize of £20,000 by entering a prize draw* to raise funds for Rural Support’s Life Beyond programme. Whether a family member has a terminal diagnosis, has been incapacitated due to sickness or injury or where there has been death as a result of illness, farm accident, or suicide, the Programme provides business and emotional support to the family members left behind.  

George Mullan ABP Northern Ireland Managing Director and Chairman of the Life Beyond steering groupe xplains the decision to replace their corporate marquee with a multipurpose shed, “ABP is a strong supporter of Northern Ireland’s largest farming community event, the Balmoral Show. We’ve been a platinum sponsor of the show for the past ten years. Our company had been a patron of the bereavement support service Embrace Farm Ireland for a number of years. In 2021 we were delighted to lend our support to get a similar programme off the ground in Northern Ireland under the auspices of Rural Support. The donation of our show stand to Rural Support to help raise funds for the Life Beyond programme is a progression of that commitment.”

Commenting on ABP’s contribution to Life Beyond, Chief Executive of Rural Support, Veronica Morris said, “We are delighted to be the chosen charity for this amazing shed raffle. ABP have been key supporters of the Life Beyond Programme since it began, and we can’t thank them enough for their continued commitment to supporting bereaved farming families in Northern Ireland. The money raised from this raffle will help these families to manage their circumstances and their feelings at these times of immense pressure and distress.”

Tickets to enter the draw, priced at £10, will be on sale throughout the four days of Balmoral, at both ABP stand no. B5 and Rural Support’s own stand no. B33a. Alternatively tickets can be purchased at the ABP/ Linden Food/ Kettyle Irish Foods sites at Newry, Lurgan, Dungannon and Lisnaskea.

*Terms & conditions apply visit www.ruralsupport.org.uk