The Farmers' Union of Wales has boosted the funds of mental health charity, The Daniel Picton-Jones Foundation, with £50,000 after just over three years of fundraising.

The charity was announced as the FUW's presidential charity at the Royal Welsh Show in 2019 and the Union has held various fundraising activities in that time including farmhouse breakfast events, mountain climbs, walks and bingo nights to name a few.

The FUW has worked with the DPJ Foundation since its inception in 2016, helping to not just raise funds but vital awareness of mental health issues in rural and farming communities.

Former FUW President Glyn Roberts, who presented the cheque to the DPJ Foundation, said: “1 in 4 people will suffer with mental health problems in their lifetime, it is not an uncommon illness and one which we need to continue to work together to tackle. 

“Sadly, the agriculture sector has one of the highest suicide rates of any sector and above most other occupations. Concerns about the unpredictable weather, animal disease, support payments and many other uncertainties are weighing on the minds of many farmers throughout Wales.

“Coupled with the loneliness and isolation that comes with farming means that farmers and agricultural workers are highly susceptible to poor mental wellbeing. 

“Failing to deal with that could lead to all sorts of issues, such as the farm running inefficiently, a serious injury, relationship breakdowns, poor physical health and even worse.

“The work the DPJ Foundation has done since its inception has been invaluable and we can’t thank them enough for what they have done and continue to do. They save lives, every day. We will continue to work with them and others to keep mental health on the agenda and explore ways to help people enjoy better mental health and access help where and when it is needed.”

Kate Miles, Charity Manager of the DPJ Foundation said:

“We are overwhelmed by the amount raised by the FUW over the past 3 years and cannot say ‘thank you’ enough. This is a phenomenal amount and for a small charity like the DPJ Foundation, will make a massive difference to us. To put this into context, last year, it cost us just over £100,000 in counselling costs through our Share the Load service; so £50,000 will help us dramatically. 

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside FUW these past few years, including on initiatives such as the Farmhouse Breakfast Week which not only raised funds but also brought people together to combat loneliness and isolation in what can be an isolated industry. The FUW have also helped us to raise awareness of our Mental Health and Bereavement training and Share the Load helpline and this is equally valuable as through their network they have enabled us to reach more farmers across Wales. 

“We look forward to continuing to work together moving forward in different ways, but for now I would like to say a massive ‘Diolch o galon’ to everyone who helped raise this wonderful donation – this will help us to save lives.”