Our Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jude McCann, has written the following message to our farming community this winter period.
Following October’s Budget announcement, many within our farming community are now in a period of reflection and revaluation. This has been a very difficult year in farming and you may feel as if you are on your own facing the challenges and changes ahead. We want to remind our farming community that FCN volunteers are here 365 days of the year to listen, to support and to ‘walk with’ you, your family and your farm business.
This year has been a real testament to the strength and resilience of farmers, supporting one another and uniting as a force for good. Farmers are masters of adapting to change; at this time we must keep on looking forward, and focus on the positives and the things within our control.
Increasingly FCN’s work is taking a proactive approach to supporting farmers’ health, wellbeing and resilience. Through our FarmWell website, community events, research, partnership work and other activities we are working hard to create networks of support and to help farmers to explore their options in the face of significant change.
Our new UK-wide partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support is one example of how we are engaging with local communities – working with a wide range of stakeholders to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and to encourage people to ‘Nip it in the Bud’. We are hoping to gather feedback on how cancer support in rural communities could be improved, and have included a link to our survey here: Rural Communities Cancer Project Survey
Thank you to all of our volunteers, staff team and supporters, who continue to do great work raising awareness of FCN and helping us to reach those who may benefit from the support of our charity. Everything we do is a real team effort, and we are grateful to everyone who gets involved with our work.
Please take care during this winter season and continue to look after yourselves and the people around you. Remember: we are here to help.
FCN can be contacted in confidence on 03000 111 999 or help@fcn.org.uk, 7am-11pm, 365 days of the year. Contact us to speak with a volunteer who understands farming life.