IN a bid to share his concerns over the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on mental health, the CEO of a leading Carlisle livestock auctioneer is highlighting acts of kindness carried out by his staff.

In his weekly diary, Richard Rankin, who heads up H&H Group at Rosehill, outlines how he has asked his teams to nominate a colleague who has demonstrated an act of kindness and made a difference during the crisis, so he could share it with everyone in his daily emails.

“I have truly loved reading and sharing these each day helping us all realise how even the smallest good deed can have a huge impact on someone else,” said Mr Rankin.

His move comes as H&H celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week with the appropriate theme this year #KindnessMatters. “Despite the pandemic catapulting our lives onto a very different path, I have personally seen so many wonderful examples of this both on social media and in my own life. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed the good deeds being done around them, helping a neighbour, taking time to contact friends and loved ones or even just a more friendly hello and sharing a smile whilst out on your daily walks or runs.”

Mr Rankin added that the new way of working for Borderway Mart had led to movies of livestock for sale filling the pages of H&H Facebook pages. "It made me think that this is not something that I, nor our customers, would get to see every day – cattle and sheep being paraded, cat-walk fashion, on their home farm, all from the comfort of your sofa! It makes me thankful that due to a little ingenuity and adapted systems by the team, we are able to continue our sales on the mart, using these much safer methods.

“It is also reassuring for our shareholders that it has not negatively impacted the results as in the first week of our Online Timed Beef Sales we saw a top price bid of £15,000 for a Limousin bull.”

H&H also ran their timed auction for machinery this week, which Mr Rankin said ‘made a nice change to have something different to auction off, and, as a general rule, tractors are less trouble than sheep and cattle!’

On the subject of sheep and cattle, Mr Rankin pointed out that the revised dog worrying bill passed in Scotland was more important that ever with the country relying more on the countryside for exercise and escape. “Last year there were 15,000 incidents reported, and this year is set to be higher given the conditions. Following a busy lambing and calving season, farmers are left with many more livestock, as our insurance team, H&H Insurance Brokers, remind us to check your livestock insurance as sheep worrying is often not covered in standard policies.”