The road to recovery is different for everyone. What works for one may not work for another, but for some, it is important to turn a negative situation into a positive, and proactively focusing on a new project can bring a multitude of benefits.
TARON LEE
Today’s theme is what individuals can do to help themselves, we caught up with Taron Lee to learn more about how his latest challenge is doing just that – for himself and others…
Taron is no stranger to the Farm Safety Foundation, having previously fundraised for us with the Louth Tractor Run. However, his next challenge goes a step further. The brainchild of good friend, James Casswell, Taron is organising a tractor run with a difference – they will be driving a JCB Fastrac around the coast of Britain, finishing at Lincolnshire show, a total of 4,690 miles.
“We’ve got a team of eight drivers so far, as well as some extra volunteers who have offered to take a leg,” explains Taron. “We don’t think it has been done before so we’re contacting the Guinness Book of Records to register the challenge.
“It’s going to be a massive undertaking. It’ll be physically and mentally demanding, but we want to raise awareness of mental health in British agriculture and how important it is to back our farmers.”
Taron, who originally comes from a non-farming background, openly admits that when he started in the industry he didn’t “believe” in mental health… that was until he experienced it for himself.
“It can be a lonely time sat in that tractor for 12 plus hours a day in your own thoughts. Having suffered with my own mental health now, I know how important it is to raise awareness and support the charities that are out there,” explains Taron.
Taron has also supported friends through serious mental health crises, and coupled with his own experiences, he recognises how important it is to talk more openly about how you are feeling.
“It can affect anybody, whether you’re a farm worker, the boss, a manager, mechanic, fitter, etc. Everyone in the industry can suffer with it.”
JAMES CASSWELL & TARON LEE
This latest challenge was born out of a particularly difficult time for Taron. “It started off in 2022 when I lost my father the morning of the Louth tractor run. James (Casswell) wanted to give me something to take my mind off things. He came up with this idea of driving a tractor all the way around Britain and wanted me to start the ball rolling and see how we could do it.”
For Taron, this was a proactive way to help himself and find the positives in a very negative situation, all while doing what he could to support the industry.
“I think there needs to be more training in the workplace for mental health. A lot of people don’t know how to deal with someone who is struggling,” says Taron. “When I was struggling with my Dad’s death, no one would talk about it.”
Taron is hoping that he can encourage people to keep talking. “We’re raising money for the Farm Safety Foundation and highlighting the challenges of mental health in agriculture. But equally, we want to raise awareness of why it’s so important to back British farmers, and British agriculture. There is so much uncertainty at the moment and this is all having a negative impact on mental health in agriculture.”
And for anyone struggling right now, his message is clear. “You’ve got to talk. We’ve all got mobile phones and social media, and while this can sometimes be part of the problem, we all need to reach out, to keep in contact with the outside world. If you don’t want to talk to a colleague, manager, friends or family, there are charities out there who can, and want to, help.”
To find out more about Taron’s challenge, get involved and follow their progress visit: Back British Farming and Mental Health.
