Mamwlad - reaching out to support Powys farmers

Photo by Joseph Reeder

It was November 2020 when we first heard about a brand new project called Mamwlad which had been set up in Powys to support farmers and was run jointly by two local organisations – Care and Repair Powys and Age Cymru Powys. Mamwlad means Homeland or Motherland in English.

At the time client data from both organisations had demonstrated a disproportionately low take up of their services by older farmers. The farming community are naturally independent and reluctant to seek out support, but as their needs change as they grow older their personal needs increase and both social and physical isolation makes matters worse. Jointly CRP and ACP planned to use their experience and knowledge of supporting older people to identify solutions to difficulties, working collaboratively with others in the wider agricultural community, public and voluntary sectors.

The Mamwlad project has worked hard over the last couple of years, despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic in the early days, to reach out to and support the older members of the farming community. Today we hear about a client from south Powys and how the project has supported her. Lesley Price, a caseworker with Care & Repair Powys working on the Mamwlad project, tells us more.

Photo by Helen Davies

Menna lives on a farm near Llanwrtyd Wells, a small market town in south west Powys. She was referred to Care & Repair via Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth after a stay there following a fall in which she unfortunately broke her hip.

The farmhouse where she lives had enough rooms to move her bed downstairs as she is unable to climb stairs (she is is hoping to get back to full fitness with the help of an exercise plan she received from the hospital).

A Health Occupational Therapist had made a referral to Minor Adaptations for a stair rail to be fitted.

One of the Mamwlad caseworkers arranged to visit Menna to carry out a Healthy Homes Check. Menna had a number of concerns about other areas in the house that may cause her problems, particularly as she had lost her confidence since her fall. The caseworker took the time to listen to Menna’s concerns and make suggestions for some further minor adaptations to reduce the risk of falls. The caseworker is a Trusted Assessor for Minor Adaptations and able to make direct referrals for works to be carried out.

During the Healthy Homes Check the Mamwlad caseworker discusses support options with the client, looking at isolation and loneliness that can have an impact on a person’s mental health. It may be appropriate to refer someone to project partners such as Age Cymru Powys for other services such as befriending or to explore benefit entitlement.

We also network with other organisations such as The DPJ Foundation, who specialise in mental health within the farming communities. From our evaluations the impact of introducing minor adaptations to a home on clients’ mental health is positive. They have increased confidence and independence leading to reduced anxiety and worry when they are receiving the support they need.

In this instance the two entrance doors to the house both had small steps, so the caseworker agreed that grab rails would reduce the risk of falls. The caseworker also identified small steps leading into the utility room and the hallway as potential trip hazards and agreed to fit grab rails in these areas.

The caseworker drew up a set of recommendations, which she forwarded to the Care & Repair Minor Adaptations Team. The work was carried out by an in-house Minor Adaptations Officer within 10 working days of the referral.

Menna is extremely pleased with the finished work and tells us that the rails have increased her confidence and independence. She has also had three more grab rails fitted in the bathroom to provide support when showering and using the bath.

Menna has since referred a family member, and a farming friend, to Care & Repair for support and advice on falls prevention and fire safety.

If you know anyone in the farming community who would benefit from similar support, then please get in touch with Care & Repair:

North Powys: Amy Peter, email: amy.peter@crpowys.co.uk

South Powys: Lesley Price, email: lesley.price@crpowys.co.uk

Or telephone the Care & Repair Office at the Newtown base: 01686 620760.

Names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

The Mamwlad Project is funded by the Welsh Government. The two partners are:

Powys Care and Repair works to help keep their clients safe, warm and secure in their own homes. They run a variety of programmes including the Rapid Adaptations Programme for those 50+.

Age Cymru Powys provides essential support to people over 50 and their families in Powys. The organisation works to sustain and improve the quality of life of vulnerable older people in Powys. It believes that older people should be respected and valued as individuals in terms of their dignity, status, personal autonomy, diversity of needs, aspirations and expectations.

The DPJ Foundation - celebrating 5 years of helping Welsh farmers to “Share the Load”

On Sunday 15 January 2023 the DPJ Foundation celebrated another milestone as their confidential support helpline ‘Share the Load’ has been operating for 5 years. Listening, supporting, and helping the people of the farming community and their families across Wales, the DPJ Foundation has provided counselling to more than 750 people.

The Share the Load support helpline is a 24/7 confidential call and text line with a free counselling referral service, specifically for those in Welsh agriculture. The DPJ Foundation prides itself on its non-judgmental, Samaritans-trained volunteers who are always there when needed. Share the Load is different to many helplines as it gives the option of fully funded professional counselling in English or Welsh to those who want it.

Kate Miles, the charity’s manager, said “It’s been a challenging year for many of us, especially for farmers. As we head into 2023, things are still looking difficult for UK farm businesses with many having to make some hard decisions about their future. This can also put pressure on relationships and lead to stress, worry and poor mental health. Here at the DPJ Foundation we want to make sure that everyone in Welsh agriculture knows that they are not alone. When you are facing some hard times and difficult challenges, we can help. Our volunteers understand the farming industry and can offer support. We work closely with other charities such as Tir Dewi, The Farming Community Network - FCN, and RABI (The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) who can also help in difficult times.”

Emma, the founder of the DPJ Foundation who established the charity 6½ years ago following the death of her husband Daniel Picton Jones by suicide, said – “The last 5 years of Share the Load have been some of the most proud but heart breaking years of my life. Just over 5 years ago, following experiencing my own difficulty with accessing counselling following Dan’s death, I sat in the back room of a small coffee shop one winter's night and told a group of friends that I was going to create a service that meant people didn’t have to wait for support; that they could get help 24 hours a day should they need it and speak to a professional within 24 hours. They would have counselling in a way that suited them, be that at home or in the local community. 

"I don’t think any of us there that night thought that we would have made it this far but here we are. It breaks my heart that we have so many calls, but I am unbelievably proud of this service, the fact we cover Wales and provide support 24/7 to the people that needs it the most is a wonderful feeling. Thank you to all of the volunteers, counsellors and staff who make this possible. Mainly, thank you to those who call and allow us to help you Share the Load.”

The DPJ Foundation urges people to take notice of the people around them, loved ones, neighbours, and those in their community. Being there by showing them they are not alone can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The charity offers mental health awareness training for free; the 3½ hr session allows you to learn how you can support others in the farming community here in Wales as well as yourself. It will enable you to know how to recognise the signs of someone with poor mental health, how to support them, how to access help and also how to care for your own mental health. 

The charity also runs Bereavement and Grief Awareness sessions which are free thanks to funding from the Welsh Government. To find out more or to book head over to the DPJ Foundation website.

The DPJ Foundation also calls for your help to spread the word about the Share the Load helpline by displaying posters, leaflets, car, trailer, and bale stickers anywhere that you can.

Congratulations to the DPJ Foundation on hitting this milestone and 

good luck for the next 5 years. 

 If you need help, you can call them free on 0800 587 4262 or text them 

on 07860 048 799 (this number doesn’t accept calls).

The DPJ Foundation is part of the Powys Agri Wellbeing Support network (PAWS). If you would like to find out more about PAWS, email mentalhealth@pavo.org.uk or check out our website where there is an information sheet listing support available in Powys.

Farming Community Network - supporting farmers in Powys

Pat Borland is a volunteer with the charity Farming Community Network, which supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times. 

Originally from Zimbabwe, Pat moved to live in Mid Wales 10 years ago and has been an FCN volunteer for the past four and a half years. She inherited the secretarial duties in October 2014 and early in 2015 the role of Regional Coordinator was added.

I caught up with Pat at the FCN national conference last Autumn at the Royal Welsh Showground near Builth Wells, and recently found out more about her role and the FCN.

How did you get involved in volunteering with the Farming Community Network originally?

My husband and I were asked, due to our experience in agriculture, to join the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon Rural Life Committee through which we met Revd Richard Kirlew. At the time he was the FCN Regional Coordinator for Mid Wales and he inspired me to volunteer for FCN.

Tell us more about your role for FCN and the work of Powys volunteers

The main responsibility of Regional Coordinators is to oversee the organisation and activities of FCN groups at county level. They are the link, with their Regional Directors, to the FCN head office and staff who provide direction for the organisation and support to the volunteers. Key duties are to receive, process and delegate case referrals but in order for this to be effective there should be sufficient, adequately trained caseworkers available as well as adequate resources and safeguards. Making sure that everything is in place in a voluntary organisation is very challenging!

Volunteers can be called on to support farmers through a wide variety of crises from running short of stockfeed to bankruptcy, and from minor family fallouts to bereavement and suicide. Some cases are resolved with a few telephone calls while others require the caseworker to provide support for months and even years. The support takes the form of listening and helping farmers work through the options open to them rather than giving guidance and advice but frequently caseworkers call on the expertise of other organisations and professional people to assist in restoring the farmer’s capacity and ability to run his/her own life.

What are some of the signs that someone from the farming community is struggling with their mental health?

These are much the same as in all sectors of the population, the difficulty being that farmers tend to be more isolated than those who live in villages or towns so there is less opportunity for others to detect the signs. One of the most obvious signs is a significant change in behaviour and another would be that the farmer is not coping with his routine work load.

Ed Ford, Chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers said last year: “Farmers are incredibly proud people and will not ask for help.” What can we all do to encourage farmers to talk about their mental health?

We should work towards a society in which mental health issues are discussed as freely and non-judgementally as any other, and can provide opportunities and places where farmers can feel safe and comfortable about discussing their wellbeing e.g. setting up Wellbeing Clinics at livestock markets and ensuring that market places provide opportunities for individual farmers to discuss their concerns and problems in private and in confidence.

Pat speaking at the FCN AGM in Autumn 2018

What kind of support can FCN provide when someone does get in touch? 

Once farmers have contacted FCN and requested assistance they are provided with a caseworker who will ‘walk with’ them for as long as it takes for them to regain their self assurance to manage on their own. The caseworker does not give technical advice but rather gets the farmer to talk through all his/her concerns and suggests various options for moving forward. 

If the farmer needs specific professional advice or financial support then the caseworker will indicate the options available and assist with the processes involved. For example in a recent case the father of a family with several children who have special needs was incapacitated leaving his wife (in this case the farmer) to cope on her own in financially straightened circumstances. The FCN caseworker was able to advise the farmer on how to establish that she was paying far above the recommended rent for her small holding; where to apply for grants and support for her special needs children; and finally which agricultural grants and loans she was eligible for to help her through the difficult time. Unfortunately her misfortunes are not over - now she has received notice to vacate the smallholding within one month but her caseworker is still supporting her!

What are some of the most challenging issues facing farmers in Mid Wales at this time?

The combination of last year's long, hard winter with the long dry, hot period during summer has resulted in livestock farmers having used up all their on-farm feed stocks and being unable to build up sufficient reserves to take their normal stock holdings through the winter and early spring. They have been forced to de-stock when prices are low resulting in financial losses. It is at this time of year that farm subsidies are paid out and inevitably some farmers are not paid on time or as much as they anticipated which leads to enormous financial stress. Not to mention Brexit which is making the future so uncertain. Once the political situation has been finalised then farmers, like other business people, can make decisions and move forward with a greater degree of certainty and confidence.

If people don’t receive the support they need, what can happen to them and their farms?

As in other families and businesses this can lead to severe personal and family stresses which may end up in family breakdown or even suicide, and if the family cannot function properly, the farm cannot be run productively which means it will probably have to be sold or in some cases just abandoned! Of all professions in the UK, farming has the highest number of suicides: nearly one per week!

We hear that isolation and loneliness can be a big issue for some farmers. Are there any networks that farmers can tap into?

Farmers can and should participate in community activities and interact with their neighbours and colleagues. More formally young farmers can join Young Farmers' Clubs while all farmers can join the NFU (National Farmers' Union) or FUW (Farmers' Union of Wales). Through these organisations, or other sources of information, farmers will learn of conferences, seminars and short courses designed to strengthen their skills and should make a point of participating in these on a regular basis. One appreciates that it is not easy for them due to the distances they may need to travel and the difficulties of leaving the farm unattended however resolving these issues is easier than sorting out the consequences of long term isolation and loneliness!

Which other organisations do you work closely with, either locally in Powys, or in the rest of the UK, to provide support to the farming community?

Traditionally FCN works with the other farming help organisations namely RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute) and the Addington Fund and of course the Government Agencies as applicable to various cases and in some instances in specific programmes like Cymorth Bovine TB control. In Wales the various FCN Groups, led by our Regional Director, are forming working relationships with all support agencies and charities that supply specialist services that may be applicable to achieving FCN’s objectives. The cooperation and information provided by PAVO is an essential component resource for us.

What are the main challenges of the role?

The main challenge of my job is in matching volunteers to cases particularly as we actually do not have enough caseworkers and most of our volunteers do not speak Welsh.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at FCN so far

For me the reward is to hear that a caseworker has been able to support a farmer to the point where he/she has overcome their problems and is once more living happily and productively.

When you are not volunteering for FCN, how do you enjoy spending your time?

Walking in beautiful Wales. 

If you want to find out more about the Farming Community Network you can go to the website at www.fcn.org.uk or email help@fcn.org.uk or ring 01788 510866.

If you want to talk to a sympathetic person who understands farmers and rural life you can call the FCN helpline: 03000 111 999. Calls will be answered in person from 7am to 11pm every day of the year. Alternatively you can email the e-Helpline at chris@fcn.org.uk

Meeting the Farming Community Network in Powys

Mark Suthern, Chairman of the Farming Community Network

Earlier this autumn Freda Lacey (Senior Officer Health & Wellbeing team) and I joined the Farming Community Network for a Harvest Service of Thanksgiving and AGM at the Royal Welsh Showground near Builth Wells. This was the prelude to a 2-day national conference for the charity’s volunteers, staff and trustees.

Christopher Jones MBE founded FCN (then known as the Farming Crisis Network), in 1995. This followed two decades of falling farming prices in the 1980s and 90s, which led to a rise in the number of farmer suicides. Unfortunately, suicide cases in the farming community are still some of the highest recorded in the UK, and today the charity is increasingly called upon to support members of the farming community across England and Wales.

The PAVO mental health team first worked with David Williams, the FCN Regional Director for Wales, and himself a farmer in Monmouthshire, late last year. We hosted Ramble with a Big Cheese, a farming engagement activity in Powys, where we listened to people close to, or working within, the farming community to hear first-hand some of the current issues. Our aim is to make sure that people, not just farming families but support organisations, know where they can best access support and help around their mental health if they’re based in Powys.

Photo © Farming Community Network

Walking with farmers

FCN has a network of over 400 volunteers across England and Wales, many of whom are involved in farming, or have close links with agriculture, and therefore have a great understanding of the issues that farmers, farm workers and farming families regularly face. These volunteers provide free, confidential, pastoral and practical support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related. They will "walk with" anyone who seeks support and help them find a positive way through their problems - for as long as it is needed. Issues range from financial difficulties, animal disease, mental health and family disputes.

In addition to local groups of volunteers, FCN runs a confidential national helpline and an e-helpline, which is open every day of the year from 7am - 11pm (tel: 03000 111 999).

David welcomed us to the first FCN conference in Wales. He said, “We can live in our own bubble in the farming world and think that we are the only one with issues. But you will find that a lot of people are suffering and need the help that we supply.”

Dr Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales

The FCN has its roots in Christian theology and ethics. One of the Mid Wales volunteers, the Reverend Ifor Williams (“I used to milk cows”) led the harvest service, whilst Dr Christianne Glossop, the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, spoke about the importance of faith to agricultural and rural communities.

FCN Chair, Mark Suthern, described a “period of history repeating itself.” First there was the agricultural revolution, when pioneers set about farming for the first time following centuries of a hunter-gathering lifestyle. During the Industrial Revolution many farmers were displaced by machines and switched to factory work in rapidly expanding urban areas. More recently there has been a Green Revolution, with new pesticides impacting on agriculture. And now we are in a digital and agri-tech led revolution – another massive period of change for the farming community.

The farmer of today has to be a finance expert, a frustrated engineer, a soil scientist, a stockman, a vet and an environmentalist all rolled into one.

Mark asked, “how do we help those frightened by a period of change? We need to harness our strengths and support people through this.” He talked us through the current challenges for FCN, gave a summary of last year’s casework, and highlighted in more detail some of the problems presenting.

David Williams, FCN Regional Director for Wales, addresses AGM guests

Planning for the future

Two of FCN’s vital tasks for the coming year are:

• To expand the helpline services.
• Training people to have confidence to engage in those important conversations with farming families.

Mark concluded by saying: “it is about transferring our values and beliefs to listen to farming families and help them through this long transition period where there are opportunities but also challenges.”

Powys FCN Volunteer Coordinator Pat Borland speaks at the Harvest Service

Farming Community Network volunteers

It was an excellent opportunity for us at PAVO to meet and find out more about some of the work that FCN volunteers are doing to support farming families. Some volunteers, with experience of farming and their own mental health issues, now give talks to local farming groups to raise awareness and reduce the stigma.

Whilst at the AGM I also met Mid Wales Volunteer Coordinator Pat Borland, who will be writing a separate blog post about the work she does supporting volunteers across Powys. Earlier this year Owen Griffkin, (Mental Health Participation Officer) went to the Farming Community Network’s Powys volunteers’ event and met with the people who deal with enquiries from farmers in crisis in Powys.

Some of the enquiries the volunteers receive can be wellbeing related and they said it would be good to have more information about specialised services in the area. Owen worked on an information pack specifically for the volunteers, with a handy info sheet with lots of local organisations featured. The idea is that the volunteers can have it ready-to-hand when on a call with somebody, so that they can quickly find the right help. We also collated leaflets from all the local groups (such as Ponthafren Association and the Mind centres across Powys) to help the volunteers find out more details about each organisation and what services they offer. 

We handed over the completed packs at the FCN’s AGM so that the volunteers can start using them straight away. David Williams, Wales’ Regional Director of FCN said, ‘I am sure this will be a very useful tool for the Powys group.’

If you want to find out more about volunteering with FCN in Powys then contact David by emailing: David@fcn.org.uk

If you need support, then ring the helpline no: 03000 111 999 (7am – 11pm daily) or email: help@fcn.org.uk