Content advisory: This content includes references to suicide and survival. If these topics are distressing for you, please consider pausing and accessing the support resources listed at the end.
STEPHANIE BERKELEY, MANAGER, FARM SAFETY FOUNDATION
9 February 2026 Welcome to our ninth annual Mind Your Head week. This year marks a significant milestone as we take on one of the most urgent and sensitive challenges facing UK farming: suicide risk and prevention.
Farming is more than a profession – it is a way of life. But it can be isolating, relentless and uncertain. Long hours, physical graft and a culture of “just get on with it” keep our industry moving but they can also keep too many of us silent for too long.
Our industry loses too many people to suicide every year – 47 suicides in the farming and agricultural industry were registered in England and Wales alone in 2024 according to ONS – but we have an opportunity to change this if we take the time to learn the signs, start honest conversations and signpost timely help, so a struggle does not become a crisis.
Why This Matters Now
This campaign comes at a critical time. Many farmers are still feeling the strain of 2025’s challenges and our latest research paints a stark picture.
Overall wellbeing within the farming community, measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), continues to lag behind the UK average and has fallen to its lowest point in four years. The sharpest decline is among those aged 61 and over, a group that until recently reported above-average resilience.
Turning Awareness Into Action
We have been running the Mind Your Head campaign for eight years and, during that time, the industry has made significant progress in acknowledging the realities of poor mental health. Yet conversations about suicide and education around suicide prevention remain far too rare. A single conversation has the power to reduce pain, offer hope and save a life…
Thankfully, we are part of a growing movement determined to close this critical gap in rural wellbeing. RSABI in Scotland has appointed its first Suicide Prevention Lead and this week we will launch a unique and innovative Suicide Prevention in Farming eLearning module, developed with Baton of Hope and funded by The Royal Foundation.
Our work aligns closely with The Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network (NSPN), which was created to strengthen collaboration and innovation across crisis response, prevention and postvention. As a small charity, and members of the NSPN, we are proud to play our part in ensuring farming communities benefit from this joined‑up national effort.
Voices That Matter
Throughout this week, we will share the voices that matter most – those who have lost loved ones, those who have endured in silence and those who have found their way back from the darkest of places. These stories are raw, real and deeply human.
This year’s campaign hero film brings these voices together in a way that speaks straight to the heart of farming: real people, real hope and the unstoppable power of community. This is more than a film, it is a rallying cry for change, a reminder that no one should face their struggles alone. If you care about the future of farming and the incredible people who make it possible this is a must-watch.
Sam Stables, We Are Farming Minds
One of those voices is Sam Stables, co-founder of Herefordshire charity We Are Farming Minds. As well as sharing his story with us, today Sam kicks off a marathon challenge – literally! He has given himself the challenge of walking the 135 miles from Ross Market to Westminster – covering a marathon a day – to highlight the unique stressors farmers face: financial strain, isolation and uncertainty. His walk will be a powerful symbol of hope and resilience, raising funds for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs to support the next generation.
Hope
Mind Your Head 2026 will be a campaign focusing on education, resilience and compassion but above all, it will be a campaign about hope. At last month’s Lamma Show, we surveyed a sample of 331 farmers to gauge if they felt optimistic about the future. Encouragingly, 67% said YES, with 33% saying NO. Interestingly, levels of optimism were consistent across older and younger farmers and genders, with no significant differences emerging.
So let’s be optimistic – suicide is preventable. We can learn the signs, start conversations and stand together – We can be hopeful and we can make a difference. Please join us this week. Share the message. Look out for each other. Because in farming, as in life, no one should face their struggles alone.
