Farming support and wellbeing
Farming can be rewarding, but it can also bring challenges. Long hours, financial pressures, isolation, poor weather, uncertainty and the responsibility of running a farm can all take their toll.
Through our work with farmers and farming families across North Yorkshire, we've heard that it is not always easy to know where to turn for support or advice. Busy workloads, travel distances and the demands of farming life can make it harder to seek help early or talk about how things are really going.
Whether you're looking for practical advice, financial support or someone to talk to, there are organisations that understand farming life and are here to help.
Where to get support
RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution)
Telephone: 0800 188 4444 (24 hour helpline)
Email: help@rabi.org.uk
Website: rabi.org.uk
Practical, financial and emotional support for farming families and workers.
The Farming Community Network
Telephone: 03000 111 999
Email: help@fcn.org.uk
Website: fcn.org.uk
Practical help and emotional support from farming people who understand the challenges of farming life.
The Addington Fund
Telephone: 01926 620135
Website: addingtonfund.org.uk
Supporting farmers with disaster relief and affordable rural housing.
Perennial
Telephone: 0800 093 8543
Website: perennial.org.uk
Supporting people working in the horticulture industry.
Gamekeepers' Welfare Trust
Telephone: 0300 123 3088
Email: enquiries@thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com
Website: thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com
Supporting gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies and their dependants.
Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)
Website: samaritans.org
Confidential support for anyone who needs someone to listen.
Papyrus Hopeline 24/7
Telephone: 0300 102 2470
Text: 07860 039967
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Website: papyrus-uk.org
Support for people under 35 experiencing thoughts of suicide and those who support them.
About this work
Our report Ploughing Through Barriers helped highlight the challenges many farmers and farming families face in accessing support and is already helping shape practical changes across North Yorkshire.
This project builds on that work by sharing information and opening conversations about support available to farming communities.
It includes a particular focus on men working in farming, who can face barriers to seeking support and may be less likely to talk about difficulties they are experiencing.
We also want to raise awareness among farming families, friends, colleagues and others who may be well placed to recognise when someone needs support.
As part of this work, we are promoting RABI's mental health awareness training, which helps people recognise the signs someone may be struggling and understand how to help them access support
Over the summer, we will be visiting places farmers already go, including auction marts and agricultural shows, sharing information about support and promoting mental health awareness training designed specifically for farming communities.
We are not providing mental health treatment or crisis support through this project. Instead, we are helping people understand the practical, financial and emotional support available and signposting them to organisations that can help
Find out more about what farmers and farming families told us, and the difference their experiences are already making across North Yorkshire
What we've heard and the difference it has made
Report
- Read our report: Ploughing Through Barriers: Farming and Healthcare
- View our report infographic summary
Impact
- Read: When healthcare meets the farm gate (shorter version)
- Read: Fielding better healthcare for North Yorkshire's farmers (longer version)
- View our farming impact infographic
Project supported by David Skaith, The Mayor
Supported by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
This project, which aims to help men working in farming understand what mental health support is available and how to access it early, has received £12,539 from David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
