About R&BS

North ·  0800 781 1822 South ·  0800 781 0639

About

R&BS was established in 2004 with one aim - to help farm, rural and equestrian businesses find mortgage funding that is the best for them.

That was something our Directors found difficult to deliver when they were employed by agricultural teams in banks and restrained by criteria and targets.

We understand farm and rural businesses – indeed, we only work with them.  Our team are all from farming, rural business and finance backgrounds.

So, whether you have a strong, established farm or rural business or your business is falling outside lenders’ criteria, we know how to prepare your lending application so it’s exactly what the lenders want to see. And you’ll get the best results.

Our Team

Rob Lister · director

From a farming family in Kent, Rob graduated in Rural Estate Management and qualified as a Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor.

He has a breadth of knowledge developed in a career spanning land agency and farm consultancy, as well as agricultural and rural finance.

Rob spent 3 years at NatWest Agriculture head office and 4 years as Regional Manager with Farming & Agricultural Finance (FAF) before launching R&BS with Jim in 2004.

Being of farming stock with hands-on business management experience, Rob can approach each situation with empathy and vision. His clients' needs are at the heart of every proposition.

Contact

Phone 01474 816500

Mobile 07736 858750

Email rob@randbs.co.uk

Rob Lister · director

Understanding clients is essential - when we understand exactly what people want to achieve, and then deliver that - it’s exciting!

Jim Richards · director

Jim is an agriculture graduate and has an extensive rural education.

Early in his career he specialised in agricultural and rural finance working for some of the leading lenders including The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC), ING (the Dutch banking group) and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group before joining forces with Rob in 2004 to form R&BS.

He’s a successful consultant with specialist rural and banking knowledge, tenacity and a determination to succeed on behalf of clients.

Contact

Phone 01904 607755

Mobile 07830 350094

Email jim@randbs.co.uk

Jim Richards · director

For me, the real thrill is providing clients with the freedom to fulfil their potential and realise their dreams and ambitions.

John Bailey · consultant

North Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and West Oxfordshire

With almost 39 years in the NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland Group, John has a huge wealth of banking expertise from front-line relationship and credit risk roles in the commercial and agricultural sectors.

Most recently John was Relationship Director for Commercial Banking in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, looking after businesses with an annual turnover of up to £50million, across several sectors including agriculture. Prior to that John held a specialist role as a Lending Director, supporting colleagues to accelerate lending deals through credit and drawdown.

Many of John’s earlier roles in the bank were in rural areas of Wales with a large concentration of agricultural customers. His strong analytical skills led him to roles in credit sanctioning as an agricultural specialist and, latterly, a regional management role where he provided debt structuring solutions for customers.

John’s expertise in agriculture and relationship management, and his strong risk assessment and credit skills will ensure our clients get the most appropriate funding solutions for their needs.

Contact

Mobile 07732 135994

Email johnb@randbs.co.uk

John Bailey  · consultant

Finding solutions to help clients achieve their ambitions is the most rewarding part of my role. With R&BS’s leading position in the market and access to a wide range of funding options, I can make that happen.

Charlotte Douglas · equine consultant

North & Scotland

Charlie is from an equestrian background and has recently graduated with a MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour & Welfare from University Centre Askham Bryan near York. This follows her First Class BSc (Hons) in Equine Science, with additional excellence awards too! 

Having been brought up around horses from an early age, studying equines and experiencing multiple equine sectors, Charlie brings an excellent blend of practical experience and leading-edge equestrian knowledge to R&BS.

With her venture into the finance arena with R&BS, Charlie is primed to become a unique and formidable addition to the team.

Contact

Phone 01904 607755

Mobile 07505 964814

Email charlie@randbs.co.uk

Charlotte Douglas · equine consultant

I understand how much a dream home or business means to clients, and I love helping them make their vision become reality.

Seamus O'Neill · consultant

North & Scotland · Specialist in Equestrian & Leisure Funding

Seamus joined R&BS in 2007 and is our longest serving consultant. Over this time, he has seen every possible customer circumstance or borrowing scenario and always goes that extra mile to deliver appropriate funding solutions.

He has developed a specialism in equestrian and leisure businesses and is the go-to consultant in the North for kennels and catteries. 

Seamus guides and assists our clients with his gentle and efficient approach.  His depth of knowledge of the market and our lending partners ensures that our clients get the very best support from beginning to end. 

Contact

Phone 01904 607755

Mobile 07722 043153

Email seamus@randbs.co.uk

Seamus O'Neill · consultant

I get such great enjoyment from hearing how the right finance has transformed the lives of clients and their families. That’s what makes my job so satisfying.

Kim Pickering · consultant

North & Scotland · Specialist in funding up to £300K

Kim is a client of R&BS. She liked us so much she decided to work for us!

Having been brought up working closely with her farming family in Yorkshire, Kim has been immersed in practical farming all her life - she now farms in her own right running a mixed livestock enterprise.

Kim is a graduate in Animal Science and combined with her extensive practical farming experience, she brings technical expertise and first-hand farming knowledge to the R&BS team, which will be invaluable for understanding our clients' requirements and translating that into credible lending proposals. 

Contact

Mobile 07823 335088

Email kim@randbs.co.uk

Kim Pickering · consultant

R&BS helped me to realise my dream and farming ambition. I’m excited to help others achieve their dreams and ambitions too.

Paul Simon · consultant

Midlands

Paul brings a wealth of experience in banking and farming to the team. He has spent over 40 years with Lloyds Bank in Commercial Banking, with the last 16 years as an Agricultural Relationship Manager covering the Central Midlands.

In this role, Paul looked after a large portfolio of high net worth farming businesses. He understands that farming isn’t just a business – it’s personal, and therefore any business decisions also have a deep impact on a whole way of life.

Through his excellent customer relationship skills, agricultural knowledge and banking expertise, he’ll be delivering clients a choice of the best lending options from across the whole finance market – which in turn will enable them to live the lives of which they dream.

Contact

Phone 01904 607755

Mobile 07763 225490

Email paul@randbs.co.uk

Paul Simon  · consultant

Farming isn’t just a business, it’s personal. Being able to help clients achieve both their business and life ambitions with the most appropriate finance solutions is thrilling.

Graham Sanders · consultant

Kent, Sussex & Surrey

Graham has a total of 44 years of experience in banking. Working his way up through various commercial banking roles in Lloyds Bank, he spent 16 years as a Regional Agricultural Manager for agricultural and rural businesses in Sussex and Surrey before joining R&BS in 2014.

His huge amount of business and agricultural banking knowledge and experience helps Graham ensure his clients are structuring their business plans and lending applications in exactly the right way for the right lenders to get positive lending responses.

Graham epitomises the R&BS ethos of putting clients first. He knows when and where there is room to negotiate with lenders and finds clients the best and most suitable lending rates and terms to enable them to take their businesses forwards.

Contact

Phone 01474 816500

Mobile 07967 302796

Email graham@randbs.co.uk

Graham Sanders · consultant

The satisfaction and thrill you get when you’ve worked with dedicated and hardworking clients to help deliver their dreams is what I love about my role.

Tom Thatcher · consultant

Dorset, South Wiltshire, West Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Berkshire

Tom brings a lifetime of practical farming and finance expertise to R&BS which will help our clients achieve the right and best funding outcomes.

Born on a 400-acre mixed farm in Wiltshire, Tom studied at the Royal Agricultural College before returning home to manage the family farm. After a farm split, Tom joined The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC) and gained finance experience working in many different roles. His specialist expertise led him to the Clydesdale Bank in 1995 where he became their first full-time agricultural manager for England and Wales, developing their English and Welsh loan book from scratch.

Since 2009, Tom has run his own farm advisory business, where he has helped farmers plan their succession, change banks, and claim compensation for mis-sold finance products. 

Contact

Mobile 07771 961219

Email tom@randbs.co.uk

Tom Thatcher · consultant

Helping my clients to realise their business and life ambitions gives me the greatest pleasure of all.

Richard Townsend · consultant

Cornwall, Devon & Somerset

Richard is a Devon farmer’s son with a banking career that spans over 37 years with the NatWest Group.

Over the last eight years he has been an agricultural relationship manager in Devon, where he worked closely with a portfolio of farm businesses and estates helping them to achieve their goals. Prior to that Richard held relationship management roles within commercial banking and with high-net-worth clients, and as a lending director helping colleagues structure funding requests for customers across all business sectors.

Richard’s experience makes him an ideal fit for the R&BS team. His ability to deliver a high level of service, his open, honest and positive attitude and his skill in thinking outside the box to generate innovative ideas will combine perfectly to help our clients obtain the funding they need to succeed.

Contact

Phone 01474 816500

Mobile 07934 504942

Email richard@randbs.co.uk

Richard Townsend · consultant

I have a genuine desire to provide the best possible level of service, and in doing so to deliver the best outcomes to help clients reach their goals.

David West · consultant

East Anglia

David has over 40 years’ experience with Lloyds Bank in a variety of roles. He spent 15 years as Regional Agricultural Director in East Anglia looking after a diverse range of agricultural and rural businesses.

David joined us in 2016, after he'd been with Robinson and Hall Land and Property Professionals, where he was a consultant looking after their Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC) clients.

He has a huge amount of experience from the agricultural banking industry and provides clients in East Anglia with independent access to the most suitable lending products, rates and terms.

Contact

Phone 01474 816500

Mobile 07796 801784

Email david@randbs.co.uk

David West · consultant

The real pleasure I get from my role is working closely on a personal level with clients, understanding exactly what they are trying to achieve and helping them get there.

Martin Newton · consultant

East Midlands

From a farming family in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, Martin has been involved in agriculture since a young boy. He has worked within several farming business in the region and has great depth and understanding of the industry.

With a degree from the Royal Agricultural College, he has worked for the NFU as a legal technical adviser to its members, as a Farm Business Consultant for Brown & Co and most recently as a dedicated Agricultural Bank Manager for both HSBC and Barclays.

His practical farm business experience and agricultural banking knowledge is a brilliant combination to help support our clients in securing the best funding solutions for their business and lifestyles in these uncertain and ever-changing times.

Contact

Mobile 07830 350094

Email martin@randbs.co.uk

Martin Newton · consultant

I consider myself working as a partner with clients. With the experience and values of R&BS, I can support, deliver the best solutions, and help clients meet their aspirations.

Polly Stevenson · marketing

Farmers’ daughter and now a partner in her family farm, Polly not only understands our audience, she is our audience. A graduate of Seale-Hayne, she’s been fully immersed in farming all her life, and in marketing and communications to farmers for over 20 years.

Crucially for R&BS, 15 of those years were in the marketing team of The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC) and Lloyds Bank Agriculture. She holds a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing and is a member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists. 

Polly brings tremendous experience of communicating financial services to our farming and rural professional audience, and applies that through our website, social media, newsletters, events and local marketing support. 

Contact

Mobile 07789 188062

Email polly@randbs.co.uk

Polly Stevenson · marketing

The strength of R&BS is in its independence, team expertise and their absolute commitment to delivering choice and first-class, personal service. It's a fantastic message to help deliver.

Job opportunities

R&BS are looking to recruit people with banking or finance experience and a strong understanding of agricultural and rural issues.

If you have a great customer service ethic and want to discuss opportunities with us, please get in touch.

North · Jim Richards
Call 01904 607 755
Email: jim@randbs.co.uk

South · Rob Lister
Call 01474 816 500
Email: rob@randbs.co.uk