Long hours, intense physical labour, low pay and at the mercy of the elements, who’d be a farmer today? Well nearly half a million workers it seems. Yet, for a workforce that accounts for a mere 1% of GB’s working population, the industry accounts for nearly a quarter of all workplace fatal injuries, giving it
Asking for help is not only brave, but also vital for maintaining your mental wellbeing or recovering from and managing a bout of poor mental health. Thanks to the farm and rural support groups across the UK, there is support available for you or someone you know who may be struggling right now. The National
We’ve spoken a lot this week about how important it is to raise awareness of mental health in the industry – the issues that farmers are facing and the crippling burden of poor mental health, particularly for those in crisis situations. Over the past year, the world has seen a high degree of change, isolation,
Something we can all agree on, is that 2020 was a tough year filled with unexpected challenges. Recently we collaborated on a study conducted by the School of Psychology NTSAg at the University of Aberdeen into 182 Scottish farming and rural participants. The study revealed that a predominant issue in mental health described by farmers was
It can be scary when someone you love is sick. It can be especially scary if they’re diagnosed with a mental health condition. It’s hard to see someone you love in pain and it’s confusing when someone you know well is not acting like themselves. You know how you would take care of them if
Talking about suicide in the farming industry is tough. Talking about it might be tough but it’s also incredibly important. But, what’s even more important is how we talk about it. We’ve come such a long way with how mental health is spoken about in the industry but there is always room for improvement, especially
Rising coronavirus infection rates, and the accompanying wave of lockdowns across the UK has prompted several organisations in the agricultural industry to spend more time considering their employees’ and customers’ mental health… With a growing sense of uncertainty and increased levels of anxiety in the industry, it is encouraging that organisations such as AHDB, Dunbia,
My name is James Hosking (better known as “Pasty” by friends). I’m 28 years old and live in Launceston, Cornwall and this is my story… I grew up on our family dairy farm “Higher Leah Farm” in St Buryan, Land’s End, Cornwall. We used to milk around 120 cows and had a total of around
Just before Christmas, singer Jesy Nelson made a powerful statement by quitting the biggest girl band in the world – Little Mix – after nine years: it’s okay to prioritise your mental wellbeing over a job, even if it has always felt like your dream career. The decision to leave a job for the sake
We are all too aware that the past 12 months have drastically reduced the number of exciting moments in our day-to-day lives. We’re not talking about that all-encompassing, jump-up-and-down excitement but the little moments of pleasure we used to carve out of our everyday routines – getting ready to spend a few days at the