Farming plays a vital role in feeding the country and caring for the environment. It can be incredibly rewarding, but we also know it comes with huge pressures.
Farmers face a range of challenges, including changing weather conditions, business costs and the day-to-day demands of running a farm. These factors can affect wellbeing.
Through the Farmer Welfare Grant, £1.5 million will be available over 3 years to support farmer mental health and wellbeing.
Rural and agricultural charities and organisations across England will be able to apply for funding, so support can be delivered by the groups that already know and work closely with farming communities.
It will open for applications on 6 August.
The new funding will support targeted interventions to help farmers with personal wellbeing and business resilience.
This will give organisations the flexibility to provide help and support that works best for the people they serve.
Building on success
The previous round of the Farmer Welfare Grant provided £500,000 to 7 farming welfare organisations and charities, helping them deliver projects that supported mental health and wellbeing in farming communities.
Activities included resilience support, workshops, training, one-to-one assistance and online resources for farmers and their families.
Working with stakeholders
The new and expanded Farmer Welfare Grant has been shaped by what we learned from previous funding, alongside input from organisations that work closely with farmers and farming families.
Earlier this year, workshops and discussions with stakeholders helped identify where funding could make the greatest difference. Their insight has helped focus the grant on practical support that strengthens personal wellbeing and business resilience across farming communities.
We also recently held a knowledge-sharing and partnership event, bringing together more than 30 stakeholders in person and online to share their experience of delivering wellbeing support for farmers.
The event included case studies from the Royal Countryside Fund, Baton of Hope and Healthwatch North Yorkshire, followed by group discussions on common challenges and approaches.
Attendees discussed how to share resources, research and new initiatives, as well as the benefits and challenges of delivering support online and face-to-face. They also explored the importance of using clear, trusted language when engaging with farmers and farming families.
We hope these conversations will support ongoing collaboration and help organisations continue to learn from each other as they deliver support across farming communities.
Here is a snapshot of the activity delivered through the previous Farmer Welfare Grant.
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society, The Farmer Network, Field Nurse and UTASS Consortium
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was part of a consortium of northern farmer support organisations delivering activities through the Farmer Welfare Grant, alongside Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (UTASS), The Farmer Network and Field Nurse.
Around 375 farmers and industry partners benefitted from training and events delivered by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, including farmer-specific first aid training, mental health first aid training, and social and networking events.
The Farmer Network established a Women in Farming network in north-west Cumbria and delivered workshops on succession planning, health and safety, and business resilience. More than 100 farmers also attended a health and safety event at Skipton Auction Mart in partnership with the NFU.
UTASS delivered first aid and mental health awareness training, one-to-one support and social activities, while also establishing a Women in Farming network in the Durham Dales. The network now has more than 80 members, with over 40 farmers completing first aid training and almost 300 farmers and family members attending social events.
Field Nurse has expanded its services at Otley and Penrith auction marts with the addition of two nurses, enabling the team to provide more regular free health checks for farmers and increase outreach at agricultural shows and events.
The Farming Community Network
The Farming Community Network (FCN) used funding from the Farmer Welfare Grant to develop and maintain their online personal and business resilience hub farmwell.org.uk. They also delivered more than 65 FarmWell events, bringing together over 2,150 farmers from across the country.
The events have provided information on government schemes and grants, alongside advice on the mental health and wellbeing support available to farmers. They have also created opportunities for farmers to connect with others away from the farm, helping to address isolation and loneliness, which can be significant challenges in rural communities.
FarmWell event attendees have also been introduced to the ‘Lookout’ approach, helping them to recognise signs that a fellow farmer may be struggling and to understand how to direct people towards appropriate support.
One farmer said:
I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to attend events with people who understand farming pressures and for the opportunity of a safe space to seek information and support if needed.
Lincolnshire Rural Support Network
Following the tragic loss of a young member of the rural community to suicide, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (LRSN) used funding from the Farmer Welfare Grant to proactively support members of Young Farmers’ Clubs who had been affected, including those with previous experiences of bereavement by suicide.
Young people were offered a safe space to talk about their reactions to the loss, reflect on how it related to their own experiences, and access appropriate support.
This included signposting to specialist suicide prevention and bereavement services, alongside direct support from LRSN. Lincolnshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs also played an important role in providing peer support and maintaining regular contact with affected members.
Close collaboration between organisations ensured a coordinated approach, helping young people access consistent and appropriate support.
By providing a confidential and non-judgemental environment, the programme enabled individuals to discuss their concerns and wellbeing openly, increasing their confidence to seek further help when and how they felt ready.
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