We have launched a campaign to raise awareness of mental health in farming and to provide support to those who need it.
Our Spread The Load campaign aims to encourage and help individuals who are feeling overwhelmed to feel more comfortable in sharing their feelings and to know where to seek help.
‘’There are many pressures in life and the farming industry, and we want to use our platforms to raise awareness and share the support networks available. This is a topic close to many of our hearts and an especially difficult time with the COVID-19 pandemic, so we wanted to launch the campaign as quickly as we could.’’ Explains Robbie Polson, Ktwo Managing Director.
To start off the campaign, we have launched a dedicated page on our website this month for farmers and their families to find support and advice during difficult times. The page links to many services and charities such as The Farming Community Network’s Farming Help and YANA Rural Health Support which offers a full directory of support services.
“I applaud the Ktwo Spread The Load initiative, the more widely the Farming Help charities are known and what support they can give people in agriculture, the better” States Nina Clancy, CEO of RSABI supporting people in Scottish Agriculture who are also partners of the campaign.
We are planning to further develop the campaign across our networks in the coming months and we are hoping to run a roadshow across the UK in the future to reach more people.
‘’We want to do our best with our own networks to help support mental health in agriculture and give people access to the services available to them. If we can help even just one person at a time of need it will have been worth it.’’ Says Robbie.
Click here to access the Spread The Load page >
We are also supporting the Max Hunter Fund within the Mintridge Foundation. Max Hunter who sadly died by suicide in August 2019 aged 28, had an agricultural background and the Max Hunter Fund has been created to encourage everyone to acknowledge their feelings and to seek help. The Max Hunter Fund aims to visit agricultural colleges with sporting personalities to help young people feel more comfortable talking about mental health.
They are launching the initiative with the 28 NOT OUT event which was due to take place over 28 hours from 8pm on 9th July and included a Tractor run. Due to COVID-19 it is likely the event will change to be solo challenges taken within the 28 hour period to raise funds. Ktwo will be supporting the event but you can support the campaign directly by texting SPREADTHELOAD to 70085 to donate £5 – Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message and all donations go directly to the Max Hunter Fund.
#SpreadTheLoad