A former young farmer from north Northumberland is planning a charity ball following her own battle with mental health when working in the agricultural industry.
Caitlin Riddell, from Wooler, is planning the Mind Your Head charity ball to raise awareness of the huge mental health crisis within agriculture and to tackle the stigma around it. It takes place on Saturday October 29 at the Showfield in Wooler and is aiming to raise funds for the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) which offers support to those who are struggling.
Caitlin, who has since studied and graduated at Harper Adams University, a specialist provider of higher education for the agricultural and rural sector, decided to set up the ball after having issues with her mental health in the farming industry. She said: "As an industry, agriculture has one of the highest rates of mental health problems and suicide, particularly in young men.
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"Farmers are under so much pressure – financially, environmentally, family pressures, through legislation and even the public’s perception of agriculture. Along with long hours, lone working and very little time off the farm, it can leave people in a desperate situation and it’s up to us all to pull together and tackle this."
Charity the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) is behind the Mind Your Head campaign, established to preserve and protect the mental wellbeing of young farmers and young people moving into agriculture. In its annual tracker research conducted in October last year, 92% of farmers under the age of 40 cited poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today, a 10% increase since 2018.
The Office of National Statistics registered 102 suicides in England and Wales by people working in agricultural-related trades in 2019.
Caitlin said: "The figures are devastating, and the rate at which they are increasing is frightening. Despite mental health awareness having come a long way, unfortunately there is still some stigma attached to it, especially in farming.
"So often farmers feel they must live up to the stereotype of being tough and resilient which prevents them seeking help. I know first-hand how easy it is to bulldoze on and pretend everything is fine. Until it’s not.
"These charities are a lifeline for a lot of people, and if this event can help spread the message that it’s okay not to be okay and encourage even one person to reach out or start a conversation, then it’s a step in the right direction."
In supporting the event, Barbara Huddart, Director at Glendale PR and Marketing, expressed how important it is to support the next generation in order to protect the future of the agricultural industry, saying: "Having grown up in farming, been a young farmer myself and running a business in the sector, I see the volatility that farmers are now facing. Whilst we can’t necessarily control the causes of this uncertainty, what we can do is be proactive in working towards finding a solution so that people do not find themselves in such desperate situations."
Caitlin finished: "It’s not just about encouraging those that are struggling to ask for help, it’s also about raising awareness of how people can look out for one another. We often hear the phrase ‘I didn’t know’, and that is why it’s so important for people to be better informed of the signs of mental health problems."
The Mind Your Head Ball, which has the support of the Lilburn Estate, takes place on October 29. For more information, contact mindyourheadball@hotmail.com.
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