Health Hut initiative to launch at Thainstone Centre farming sale
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A pioneering Health Hut pilot project run by Scottish agricultural charity RSABI and member-owned co-operative ANM Group is set to get under way this month.
It will launch at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Thainstone Centre on Friday, August 18 at the Spectacular Show and Sale when farmers, and others attending, will be offered the opportunity to have their blood pressures checked.
Nurse Irene Scott will join RSABI staff at the Health Hut to be located at the main entrance to the Thainstone Centre, and farmers will also be able to confidentially discuss any other health concerns they may have.
Irene, who is a practice nurse and lives on a farm in Fife, has been working with RSABI at recent events to trial the best approaches to delivering this support to people in agriculture.
One of the challenges faced by farmers and others working in agriculture is living in remote locations, along with long working hours and a failure to prioritise their own health, collectively resulting in farmers too often acting slowly to book appointments with health professionals.
Research by SRUC and Stirling University published in June this year found that “farmers are likely to focus primarily on looking after the livestock and upkeep of the business side of the farm. Looking after themselves and their own health comes second.”
The research also highlighted the benefits of taking health and wellbeing support to places where farmers are to be found and the ANM/RSABI pilot project builds on an existing initiative being successfully delivered in two marts in Lancashire.
The new Health Hut is one of a range of initiatives RSABI is undertaking to encourage people working in agriculture to take steps to look after their physical and mental health, including Mental Health First Aid training across the country, a Thrive app being trailed with three young farmers clubs and the #KeepTalking campaign to encourage people to look out for each other.
Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said: “Farm businesses can be very complex and, with long working hours and uncertain weather conditions, too often farmers and others working in agriculture can neglect their health and put off arranging medical checks.
“We hope the Health Hut pilot will be successful and can grow to be rolled out across the country, bringing health and wellbeing expertise to markets and other hubs in the farming community so busy farmers can access services like blood pressure, cholesterol and other checks.
"We are delighted to be working with the ANM Group to take this forward.”
Grant Rogerson, chief executive of ANM Group, said: “We are very pleased to be working with RSABI on this ground-breaking project for Scotland.
“Projects like this offer great support to individual farmers and with the Thainstone Centre being at the heart of the farming community in the north-east and across Scotland, it is an ideal location for the Health Hut.
"We would encourage all members, customers and visitors to make the most of the Health Hut in the coming weeks and months.”
The Health Hut will be present at Thainstone sales on the following dates: August 18, September 22, October 13, November 27/28, January 5 and February 28.
RSABI provides emotional, practical and financial support to people of all ages in Scottish agriculture and an increasing amount of the work done by their case officers relates to mental health, with around 90 per cent of the welfare team’s time now devoted to practical and emotional support.
Free counselling is provided by RSABI to people in Scottish agriculture struggling with their mental health. This is simple to arrange and can be accessed very quickly and demand for the service has trebled during the past year.
However, only 36 per cent of young farmers surveyed were aware that RSABI offers free counselling.
RSABI’s freephone Helpline - 0808 1234 555 - is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and calls will not show up on phone bills.
All enquires are treated as confidential by the organisation’s friendly, professional team.
People can make contact online on a range of social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and can also reach RSABI via the webchat function on its website www.rsabi.org.uk 24 hours a day.
