For many, the world can be a lonely place, particularly during the past 12 months with the pandemic making people feel more isolated and disconnected then ever. For rural West Wales, the impact has been felt even greater, particularly for those living and working within the agricultural sector.
West Wales farming communities have seen the gross impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods, in what has always been a particularly difficult sector.
The DPJ Foundation is a charitable organisation based in Haverfordwest, aiming to help support rural communities and agricultural workers, and to break the stigma of mental health within the sector. It was set up in 2016 by Emma, after her partner Daniel Picton-Jones committed suicide following mental health challenges. Daniel had a job as a contracted agricultural worker, and was part of a sector which has the highest suicide rate.
His widow Emma decided to set up the foundation to support the mental health of those in the farming sector, for those who feel just as Daniel did, providing them with the support that he didn’t know how to get.
The Foundation says,
“Agriculture carries one of the highest rates of suicide and with mental health in agriculture being such a big problem across society, the Foundation aims to break down the stigma that surrounds mental health and provide support services for those in rural communities. Farming is an excellent career and can provide huge benefits to those who work in the sector. However, it is a career that comes with huge pressure, isolation and demand on a daily basis.”
NHW Wales recently produced a report (a collaboration between Public Health Wales and the Mental Health Foundation) on Supporting Farming Communities at times of uncertainty which noted,
“Farmers and those living in rural communities in Wales are facing a period of significant uncertainty, in the short to medium term, with a potential negative impact on their mental health and well-being. In such times, efforts to address the underlying causes of anxiety and distress, and support mental health and well-being should be intensified.”
As a result of their report, in which they collected views from the farming sector across Wales, including farmers themselves, they said,
“The findings demonstrate that whilst Brexit brings considerable uncertainty and challenge to the farming sector, many underlying causes of anxiety amongst farmers are longstanding. Views from the stakeholders and the international evidence support the need for a preventative approach which includes action to prevent the uncertainty and challenge from adversity, protect against the potential impact on mental health and well-being, and promote mental health and well-being amongst farming communities in the longer term to support a resilient farming sector for the future.”
Following on from this, they set out their priorities for 2018-2030 in ‘Working to achieve a healthier future for Wales’. They aim to focus on:
- Building and mobilising knowledge and skills
- Influencing the wider determinants of health
- Improving mental well being and resilience
- Promoting healthy behaviours
- Securing a healthy future for the next generation
- Protecting the public from infection and environmental threats to health
- Supporting the development of a sustainable health and care system focused on prevention and early intervention
The DPJ Foundation vow to offer support to agriculture and rural communities with mental health issues. There are three main areas to their service.
- Support through specific local counselling
- Awareness through social media discussing mental health
- Mental Health Awareness training- they offer a bespoke training package to help.
The charitable organisation now covers the whole of Wales, offering all areas of support and working with leading organisation such as NFU Cymru, FUW, YFC, Vets and Welsh Government to help provide an accessible and flexible service.
They have provided help through their Share the Load 24/7 counselling helpline, supporting over 330 farmers across Wales. The helpline was set up specifically to help those working in agriculture, with the long waiting times for counselling services in mind.
“We have over 30 Samaritans trained volunteers who run the call line and text service. Calls to our service are completely confidential. We provide the amount of sessions needed for the individual, this is not limited.”
David Evans lives and works on his family’s hill farm in rural Ceredigion. After his Father died when he was a child, he found himself running the farm with the help of his mother and sister. He says it can be an isolating experience and there are lots of things which contribute to daily stress levels rising.
“Weather conditions can affect your stock and crops, causing a lot of stress. As well as the uncertainty of the future. Sometimes I go without seeing someone for a week or ten days. It can be a very isolating and lonely experience.”
Talking about the DPJ Foundation, David said
“I think it’s a great service to have, particularly in rural Wales. It’s a shame there wasn’t anything like this when I went through difficult times. I think more charities like this need to be set up to help people living in rural communities.”
The DPJ Foundation has been recognised by the Pride of Britain Awards, Country File and Ffermio for their hard work and commitment. They have over 12,000 followers on Facebook, nearly 3,000 on Twitter and over 4,500 on Instagram.
“We find it the quickest and most effective way to communicate our daily messages of support and information regarding mental health. Through TV, radio and our face-to-face event talks, our message has been spread to over 14 million people to date!”
Their bilingual social media posts continue to spread the message of support and understanding, often pairing poignant quotes with beautiful images of the rural Welsh Landscape. Always with access to contact details for help and support.
They also provide mental health awareness training packages, to give the community the ability to support each other and be confident in spotting the signs of poor mental health, knowing how to help someone who is struggling and signposting onwards. Over 1000 people have received their specialist training package since 2018.
“Our Mental Health Awareness training days, allow businesses to receive a clear understanding of how to support those with poor mental health. Our training day events are based on providing information and facts around mental health issues in Wales and the UK and in particular the agricultural sector.
We explore the most common mental health conditions and explain a 5-step skill system that will enable clients to go away with a clear understanding of how to support and care for individuals with poor mental health.”
The stigma around mental health and the lack of time and resources is often the reason why so many people are left to struggle with issues they face alone.
A Trading Standards Officer ,who took part in the DPJ Foundation training programme, commented
“One of the best courses I have ever been on, I wish I’d been on this training when I was 18. Sadly no one spoke about this when I was younger.”
The Foundation also accept donations to support their ongoing work and run events to help raise awareness of all that they do to support people working in rural areas across Wales.
“Usually, the DPJ Foundation are active with events all over Wales, from Mental Health Awareness Talks to Quiz Nights, Charity Balls, Golf Days and Mud Runs. Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel our upcoming events for the time being, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As soon as we feel it is safe to do so, we’ll be posting new upcoming events for all to get involved.
We have volunteers in the community, who are there to provide information about the foundation and what we can do. Our regional champions are based all over Wales. Please get in touch if you’d like more information.
We would love you to help in any way you can, if you feel that you can donate to The DPJ Foundation in any way, either by donating money or your time, please get in touch.”
So, what might the future hold for those living and working in rural communities?
David says, for him, the key is keeping connections.
“A vital thing for staying in contact is social media. Although some people in very rural communities may have poor internet services. The Welsh Government’s Upgrade Fund will help with this, ensuring more communities can gain better internet access.
I believe that the future of connection in rural communities is through social media and the internet. The village pub used to be the main hub for socialising amongst the rural community, yet there are far fewer around now. Meeting in person is also difficult since the COVID 19 outbreak. My family and my partner have also been a huge support to me.”
Find out more about the DPJ Foundation and their services here. Make a donation here. Read more about the Welsh Government’s upgrade fund here.
