A new foundation has been launched to support and improve the mental health of those living and working in rural and agricultural communities.

The Rural Communities Mental Health Foundation is primarily dedicated to supporting people in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. However, it will extend its services to anyone approaching them from other counties.

Its unveiling coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 and one of the foundation’s key aims is to reduce the number of people losing their lives to suicide.

The co-founders of the charity are from farming backgrounds and their families have been directly affected by suicide, so understand the impact and devastation of losing a loved one in these circumstances.

Wider research on mental health in rural areas also reveals:

• The suicide rate for male farm workers is three times the male national average1
• Three people in the UK farming and agricultural industry die by suicide every week2
• The top three barriers stopping men reaching out are the stigma around mental health

(18%), not knowing who to turn to (15%) and lack of awareness of support available (15%)3

The nuances of agriculture are what makes it unique and rewarding, but these nuances can also make it extremely challenging. They include time spent alone, the impact of external socio-economic and political factors, and the unpredictability of the seasons.

It is not just those directly involved in farming that can suffer from poor mental health – no one within a rural community is immune.

Having lost their brothers to suicide ten and five years ago respectively, The Rural Communities Mental Health Foundation co-founders Kate Scott and Lewis Hunter came together and identified the need for a dedicated mental health awareness and suicide prevention charity locally.

On founding the charity, Kate said: “It’s our aim to help anyone struggling with their mental health realise they’re not alone and help and support is out there.

“We will deliver funded training to empower people to have more confident and informed conversations, focussing on free Mental Health First Aid training sessions initially, and will work to educate the next generations and normalise the conversation around mental health and suicide.”

Lewis Hunter added: “It’s our hope that the work the charity does will stop people reaching the same crisis point as Max and Robert, instead showing them that there’s hope”.

To achieve its aims, the Foundation is engaging with everyone in the community, including farmers and farm workers, rural businesses such as machinery dealerships and veterinary practices, and Young Farmer’s Clubs.

It will facilitate collaborative working amongst local and regional organisations and charities to achieve the collective aim of better mental health and suicide prevention in rural areas.

To discover more, visit rcmhfoundation.org