Committing to support the FCN for a minimum of three years, Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels will play a key part in extending the reach of the charity to remote rural communities and farms across the North West and South West regions.
The partnership will involve training teams to understand the daily challenges faced by the farming community they serve, providing vital support to struggling individuals when they need it most.
Supporting farmers beyond fuel deliveries
Agriculture is a central part of the customer base for both companies, with farms relying on fuel and lubricants to keep everything from tractors and grain dryers to livestock buildings running.
For Abby Turner, Director at Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels, that close relationship with the farming community means the companies are well placed to offer support beyond simply keeping fuel tanks full.
“Agriculture is central to our customer base – not a peripheral market,” began Abby. “With tight seasonal windows, a delayed delivery isn’t just an inconvenience – it can disrupt harvests and, in some cases, affect animal welfare.
“That’s why our partnership with the Farming Community Network made such good sense. We already support the sector at scale, and we wanted to go further – providing support that goes beyond simply keeping the fuel tanks full.”
Founded in 1995, the FCN supports farmers, farming families and people in rural communities across England and Wales through difficult times and periods of change. It provides free, confidential, pastoral support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business related.
The FCN runs a confidential national helpline (03000 111 999) and e-helpline (help@fcn.org.uk), open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm.
A challenging time for farming
The partnership comes at a time when many farming businesses continue to face considerable financial and operational pressures.
“Farmers have had to absorb several significant shocks in a relatively short period,” continued Abby. “After the exceptionally wet conditions of recent years, 2026 has brought severe drought and extreme heat, putting further pressure on crops and yields.
“For arable farmers it’s been another difficult growing season, which has made planning, budgeting and managing cash flow increasingly tough.
“Livestock farmers are also facing their own challenges, with warmer conditions contributing to a rise in bluetongue cases and adding another layer of uncertainty for those keeping animals.
“At the same time, input costs remain high, while changes to traditional farm payments and Agricultural Property Relief have added further uncertainty for some businesses, particularly around succession and the future of family farms.
“Of course, there are successful and resilient farming businesses,” Abby adds. “But margins are under pressure, and farmers have had to absorb several significant shocks in a relatively short period.”
The pressures facing farms can also have a wider impact on the rural economy, affecting agricultural contractors, machinery suppliers and local businesses, including fuel distributors.
“For us, supporting farmers with reliable service and helping them manage their fuel needs is an important part of strengthening the resilience of the wider rural community,” stated Abby.
A long-standing partnership
Over the next few weeks, representatives from the FCN will visit Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels to talk to teams about the charity’s work and how they can support the farming community, which can often feel lonely and isolated.
Drivers, sales teams and credit controllers will undertake training on mental health and wellbeing, helping them recognise when a farmer may be struggling and could benefit from the support available through the FCN.
As the face that farmers see on a regular basis, drivers will also be able to hand out FCN contact cards, helping to spread awareness of the charity’s services and providing a friendly point of contact within the farming community.
“Farming can be an incredibly isolating industry,” said Abby. “The financial, physical and emotional pressures facing farmers are often invisible to people outside the sector, and this year has been particularly tough.
“Through our long-standing relationships with farming customers, we’ve seen first-hand just how important it is to have someone to turn to when things get difficult.”
Abby believes the relationship between fuel suppliers and their agricultural customers is changing, with farmers increasingly looking for more than competitive pricing.
“Farmers increasingly expect suppliers to understand the realities of running a farm – from seasonal cash flow and unpredictable weather to long working hours and the pressures of getting the job done within tight windows,” she explained.
“The best suppliers recognise that agricultural customers aren’t simply commercial accounts. They need a service that is flexible, reliable and responsive to the way farming actually works.”
Practical advice and a changing energy landscape
As part of the partnership, Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels will also provide the farming community with practical fuel and oil tank advice to help improve fuel efficiency and reduce issues such as contamination or degradation.
The advice will be shared through the FCN’s daily communications with farmers, as well as through the charity’s website and social media channels.
The companies also see an opportunity to support farmers as they consider the changing energy landscape.
“There is genuine interest in reducing carbon emissions and preparing for tighter regulation,” explained Abby. “The uptake in HVO is definitely growing as a practical stepping stone since it can be used in existing diesel engines with minimal disruption.”
However, Abby acknowledged that the transition will not be the same for every farming business: “Cost remains the biggest barrier for many businesses, and full electrification of heavy agricultural machinery is still some way off.
“We see our role as helping farmers explore the options and transition at a pace that works for their business, rather than pushing a one-size-fits-all solution.”
A partnership with a personal connection
The companies’ commitment to the FCN will extend beyond financial support and awareness raising, with both Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels attending regular FCN and Farmwell events.
Craggs Energy sponsored the FCN’s President’s Reception at the Great Yorkshire Show (14–17 July 2026) and joined the FCN at the Halifax Agricultural Show on 8 August. Moorland Fuels, meanwhile, supported the FCN in the West Country, attending the Okehampton Show on 13 August.
Georgina Lamb, Head of Partnerships at FCN, welcomed the collaboration: “We are delighted to partner with Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels, both of which are well-respected in the farming sector. As well as providing vital funds for the charity, it has given us the platform to promote our work to the wider agricultural community and will help support farming families at the grass roots level. We look forward to working with the team in the coming years.”
Supporting a community we know
For Abby, the partnership has a particularly personal connection: “We’re part of the rural communities we serve, so for us this is about giving back – not simply supplying fuel and moving on.
“We understand that sense of isolation, too. Our drivers spend long hours working alone, particularly through the winter. We also have members of the team that come from farming backgrounds, or who have seen the positive impact that the FCN has made to friends and family.
“That’s why this partnership feels personal. It’s about supporting a community we know, value and depend on – and helping ensure that when farmers are facing difficult times, they know there is someone there to listen and help, including our team.”
A proud partnership
Lisa Bennett, CEO of Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels, added: “We are proud to announce our partnership with FCN for the next three years. The farming community has and always will be a core part of our business. Many of our team have been raised in rural communities while others have been brought up on farms themselves. They know just how challenging running a farm can be and what a difference a friendly and familiar face can make.
“By joining forces with FCN, we can play our part in lending an ear and providing support when it’s needed most, either when our drivers are out delivering heating oil, fuel and lubricants, or when our customer service team are chatting to our customers.”
With a three-year commitment in place, Craggs Energy and Moorland Fuels are looking to make their relationship with the farming community count for more than fuel deliveries. By combining their existing knowledge of the sector with the FCN’s specialist support, the companies hope to help ensure that farmers know where to turn when challenges become difficult to face alone.
There is also a wider context to the pressures being felt by farming businesses. The UK’s last four years have all ranked among the five warmest on record, while climate change is increasing the likelihood of the heat, drought and extreme weather that can directly affect crop yields, livestock and ultimately food prices.
For farmers, this creates a dual challenge: building resilience to changes that are already being experienced while also reducing the emissions that will determine how severe those changes become.
That makes support for the sector, such as that being given by Craggs and Moorland, increasingly important – not only in helping farming businesses withstand today’s pressures, but in ensuring they have access to practical, affordable decarbonisation solutions that enable them to play their part in the transition without compromising their viability or our food security.
Image credit: Craggs Energy, Moorland Fuels
