Carmarthen Journal

Breaking mental health stigma

- with David Waters, FUW’s Carmarthen­shire County Executive Officer

THIS week would have been show week. I’m of course talking about the pinnacle event in our farming calendar – the Royal Welsh Show. Under normal circumstan­ces thousands of us would have descended on Llanelwedd to enjoy the four-day event, meeting up with friends and family, seeing and showing our prized livestock, enjoying glorious food in the food hall, cheering on the shearing competitio­ns and so much more.

But, as we all know, 2020 had other ideas and things this year were a bit different. We were therefore delighted to be a part of the virtual show and we applaud the Show for its progressiv­eness in taking the event into the virtual world.

Throughout the week the union hosted a variety of seminars, just like we would during the show, and I hope many of you enjoyed the wide range of conversati­ons that took place online, which included a seminar on recent developmen­ts in agricultur­al research, with speakers from all of the UK’s four nations; a seminar on food supply chains and production and what the pandemic has taught us; a seminar on unlocking broadband and mobile connectivi­ty in rural Wales and an event looking at how Covid-19 and Brexit may impact agricultur­al insurance.

One event that has establishe­d itself as an FUW must-happen is the conversati­on around mental health. We made a commitment at the Royal Welsh Show in 2017 to keep the spotlight on mental health issues for as long as it remains a problem in rural communitie­s.

Approachin­g the fourth year of awareness-raising and doing everything it takes to help break the stigma, we are sticking to our promise.

Indeed, through platforms such as social media we are seeing many productive and positive conversati­ons around mental health and much progress has been made.

However, more work still needs to be done to support farmers who are going through difficult times. I would urge anyone to remember that it’s ‘OK to not be OK’.

And there are excellent charities out there who provide an outstandin­g support network; for example the DPJ Foundation (call 0800 587 4262 or, if talking on the phone isn’t your thing, you can text 07860 048799), the Farming Community Network (03000 111 999), Tir Dewi (0800 121 4722) and of course the RABI (0808 281 9490).

These are difficult times for many farming families and the increased isolation and stress imposed by the pandemic will certainly make things more challengin­g for those who are experienci­ng mental health issues, but there is help available. We really believe that together we can break the stigma that sadly still prevents many from seeking the help they need and deserve.

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