Volunteers from the Lloyds Bank Agriculture team were out in force recently to help a Somerset farmer return his once-flooded sheep pens back to working order ready for the lambing season.

Lloyds Bank’s agriculture policy director Alick Jones says many of the team have practical backgrounds in farming and were pleased to be able to roll up their sleeves to help at the small mixed farm near Moorland – but he admits they were taken aback by the extensive damage the flooding had caused to not just land and farm buildings, but houses and personal property too.

“It’s so important to get out from behind the desk and understand what challenges our customers are facing, especially when a crisis like this hits,” he says.

“This was just one day so it could only be a taste of what others are going through, but it did open our eyes.

“It was also a good opportunity to remind farmers that our £250million fund to provide fee-free lending for businesses and farmers is fully operational and delivering where it matters,” he adds.

Mr Jones says the fund opened on 12 February 2014 and was designed to support the working capital needs of small and medium businesses, including farmers. “It will allow them to set up, extend, or renew overdrafts and loans free of arrangement fees, for example to fund food and shelter for livestock, repair buildings and pasture, and get them back on track.”

More details of the flood relief loan fund can be obtained through local Lloyds Bank relationship managers.