FCN

What does FCN do?

The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a voluntary organisation and charity that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people in farming and provide support at times of difficulty and change.

FCN has a wide network of volunteers, located throughout England and Wales, many of whom are involved in farming, or have close links with agriculture and therefore have a great understanding of the issues farm workers and farming families regularly face. FCN’s volunteers provide free and confidential support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related.

In addition to local groups of volunteers, FCN runs a confidential national helpline (03000 111 999, open 7am-11pm every day of the year) and e-helpline (help@fcn.org.uk).

FCN’s volunteers will “walk with” anyone who seeks support and help them find a positive way through their problems. Each year they help approximately 6,000 people deal with a variety of issues, including financial difficulties, animal disease, mental ill-health and family disputes.

FCN also operates the FarmWell platform (farmwell.org.uk) – a one-stop shop for information to support your farm business and develop personal resilience.

YANA

YANA is here to help

If you are involved with agriculture or another rural business in any way and are feeling low or struggling, or if you are worried about a member of your family, a colleague or a friend, YANA can help. Call our helpline 0300 323 0400 for confidential support or email helpline@yanahelp.org.

Remember, you don’t have to struggle by yourself – good help is available.

If you are very seriously worried about someone else and their mental state go to our Concerned about someone page NOW. Please don’t hesitate to take action.

YANA offers specific help for those involved with agriculture or other rural businesses in East Anglia through our work:

• Providing confidential support & funded counselling
• Building understanding of mental health
• Investing in Mental Health First Aid training & suicide prevention

Wherever you live and work, we hope you find YANA useful.

YANA provides confidential support to those in agriculture and rural businesses

You can talk with someone at YANA. Call our confidential helpline on 0300 323 0400.

Please leave a voicemail and we will respond quickly.

Or, if you prefer, email the confidential helpline.

We are here to help.

Depression is an illness – not a weakness

Samaritans

CALL 116 123 DAY OR NIGHT

Samaritans

Samaritans is a charity working across the UK and Ireland to reduce the number of people who take their own lives and help people who are struggling to cope with how they’re feeling or with life’s challenges.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here to listen – day or night, 365 days a year.

You can call us free on 116 123 or email us at jo@samaritans.org

Whoever you are and whatever you’re facing, we won’t judge you or tell you what to do. We’re here to listen so you don’t have to face it alone.

www.samaritans.org

RABI

At the heart of farming, there’s always expert help on hand for as long as you need it. However tough it seems, RABI is here for the farming community across England and Wales with: 

Practical support:

• One-to-one, expert information, advice and guidance to meet individual needs

• Benefits guidance and other financial entitlements support

• 24/7 freephone helpline 

Financial support:

• Direct financial grant support to low-income individuals or those in financial crisis

• Training grants to supplement the primary farm income

Emotional support:

• Farming-focused mental health counselling and self-help click & chat wellbeing support tools/resources*

• Accredited mental health training*

* Available for all qualifying farming people free of charge

Call our free, 24/7 confidential helpline: 0800 188 4444

Or email us: help@rabi.org.uk 

For immediate mental health support, Click & Chat here: explore.kooth.com/rabi/

There’s always help. There’s always hope. There’s always RABI.

Yellow Wellies/Farm Safety Foundation

The Foundation works closely with Young Farmers Clubs, HSE, the Farm Safety Partnerships and a range of farming organisations to help raise awareness of farm safety among young farmers, challenge and change their attitudes towards farming safely and reduce the toll of injuries and fatalities which bring heartbreak and misery to numerous families and rural communities every year.

Wellbeing and the Mind Your Head Campaign

Our research revealed that four out of five young farmers (under 40) believe that mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today. In 2018 we launched a campaign – Mind Your Head – to raise awareness of this growing issue in the industry and, since then, one thing has become evident; farmer health and wellbeing can not, and should not, be ignored – by any of us.

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE TO READ OUR LITTLE BOOK OF MINDING YOUR HEAD

Campaign to end loneliness

I feel lonely. What can I do?

Feeling lonely is not something to be embarrassed about. We can all feel lonely, regardless of life experiences, age, or background.

Everyone will have a different experience of loneliness and different reasons for why they are feeling this way. There is no one way to effectively deal with loneliness but lots of different things that can and do help. 

We do not provide direct services or have a helpline, but lots of support is available from charities. Visit our helpful links page for more information on the support available. You are not alone. 

Connect with others 

Catch up with friends 

Reach out to your friends by picking up the phone or sending them a message through social media. We can sometimes think our friends will be too busy to chat. But you might be surprised when you make the first step to connect.

Invest time in new connections 

Joining local groups or classes based on your interests is one of the best ways of making new connections. Volunteering is another excellent way to get involved in your local community.Not only is it a great way to meet new people, but you can also develop your own skills and interests 

Little steps can make a difference 

Say ‘hello’ to a neighbour, your local shop keeper or a person at the bus stop. Small chats can go a long way in helping us to feel more connected with others. You might also brighten someone’s else’s day. 

Consider support and services 

Don’t keep it to yourself 

Talking to someone about how you feel and learning positive coping techniques can be a helpful way to cope with the negative emotions associated with loneliness. You can access talking therapies through your GP, community support organisations, or privately.

Addington Fund

Our mission is to help farming families like yours in times of need. As a specialist farming and rural charity, we provide disaster relief and houses for families in England and Wales who must leave the industry and therefore their home, through no fault of their own.

We exist to support you when you need help the most. What we do is unique. By providing housing, and disaster relief in the form of animal feed or services to farmers in need across England and Wales, we stand by your side and help you get back on your feet.

Our support includes:

• Housing Solutions
• Farmworker Grants
• Disaster Relief

Struggling and not sure where to turn? Times can get hard for everyone, but help is at hand.

Through just one phone call, farmers in need can access free, impartial and confidential support from all three charities.

Call 03000 111 999

Helpline open 7am-11pm every day of the year

Helpline operated by FCN

The Farming Help partnership is a collaboration between The Addington Fund, The Farming Community Network and Forage Aid and is supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund.

National Farmer’s Union

The NFU represents more than 46,000 farming and growing businesses. Our purpose is to champion British agriculture and horticulture, to campaign for a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure the best possible deal for our members.

We strive to protect and promote British farm life and give our members a voice now and in the future

We're here for British farmers

Whether it's through our first-class advice, guidance or business-specific technical expertise and our unmatched professional services and money-saving rewards, to how we're representing farmers in the heart of governments in England, Wales and at a regional level the NFU is committed to representing its members now and in the future.

Together we have the chance to ensure farming’s future is brimming with opportunity and that food production gets the recognition it rightly deserves.

Member services

• NFU CallFirst
• NFU Contract Checking Service
• CT Planning
• Farm Safety: Risk Management
• NFU Legal Assistance Scheme (LAS)
• NFU Employment Service
• NFU Energy
• NFU Rural Surveyor Firms
• NFU Tax Service
• The NFU Tenants' Service

The DPJ Foundation

The DPJ Foundation is a Welsh mental health charity supporting those in agricultural roles and rural communities with mental health and wellbeing.

We raise awareness of mental health issues through our network of volunteers who attend rural events and deliver talks to community groups and organisations. Free mental health awareness training is also provided to rural communities in Wales so they can be confident in spotting the signs, holding conversations and signposting for support.

We provide vital practical support through our confidential Share the Load Helpline which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Samaritans trained volunteers who understand the often stressful and isolated nature of farming, are available to listen to anyone who is feeling low or anxious or just not themselves. They can offer rapid access to counselling, in English or Welsh, free of charge. Those asking for counselling will be speaking to a counsellor within a week of calling Share the Load, wherever they are in Wales. Share the Load can also provide specialist support to those who are bereaved, including those bereaved by suicide.

You can get in touch for a confidential conversation with Share the Load on 0800 587 4262 or by text 07860 048 799. For information on training and other services head to the DPJ website www.thedpjfoundation.co.uk.