Mid Leinster Farmer Wellbeing Programme Programme of Adventure, Wellbeing, Regulation Compliance and Health & Safety Modules

Tender description

The Mid-Leinster Farmer Wellbeing Project will aim to recruit 100 farmers in the region to participate in developing a social support network via a training in action programme through this EIP Programme. Increasingly rural communities can be bereft of the “meitheal” of old, a community and social structure that is sadly mostly passed in many places. The need for this project is informed by on the ground outreach support workers from our operational group agencies and underpinned by current and continuously evolving research on the mental health, loneliness, and isolation of small holding farmers. Covid 19 augmented this isolation, where digital support was one of the only ways for single rural people were able to engage with the outside world. The programme falls under 4 themes: Traditional Skills Development (Eco therapy - incorporating talk therapy) this provides the opportunity for participants to learn new skill sets and provides a platform for social engagement and an outlet for creativity. Adventure Therapy (Castle comer Discovery Park) supporting peer to peer support and talk therapy - this provides the participants with a stimulating new recreational outlet whilst also providing mental health benefits. Health, Safety & Wellbeing - facilitated talks on wellbeing using representation from the Operational group and existing programmes - this focuses on participants seeing the benefits of resilience building and identifying potential stressors. Farm Visits / Diversification / Innovation and Peer to peer supports - this promotes the change management aspect of the programme and aims to increase digital literacy amongst the cohort thereby increasing compliancy and reducing stress levels. The programme aims to run over a 1-year period, providing 100 participants with the opportunity to learn new skills in a socially supported framework. Governance will be a very important feature of this project, objectives and outcomes will be reported and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Dissemination is the final stage