Event in Worcestershire village to highlight impact working alone can have on people's mental health
The workshop happening today (1 July) will focus on the wellbeing of lone-working men in farming and other rural industries in particular
A pub in a Worcestershire village is holding an event today (July 1) which aims to highlight how working alone in rural industries can have an impact on people's mental health.
Sue Henson and the management team from the Gate Inn in Honeybourne are working with Wychavon District Council to host the workshop organised and run by We are Farming Minds who are a rural mental health initiative and charity under MIND Herefordshire.
Designed to support men who work alone in rural settings, which is a group often identified as at a higher risk of mental health challenges due to isolation, the session will also look to help connect people with local support networks and resources.
Wychavon District Council leader Richard Morris says the council is committed to making sure those who need this type of help can access it and making it more available where possible.
He said: "We want to target this group in particular to try and see if we can help get communication going, get support going and get discussions going to try and ensure people are not feeling isolated.
"This session is part of the the We Are Wychavon plan which is to try and increase support for mental health and to try and bring interventions where we can to get people together and get people talking.
"One of the great things about this initiative perhaps is that this session is being held in a environment where people tend to socialise in, as pubs are often the centre for people coming together and sharing a laugh and its the opportunity just to have that dialogue and to open up."
Councillor Dan Birch who is the council's executive board member responsible for health and wellbeing added: “We know that men in rural areas, especially those working alone, often face unique pressures and are less likely to seek help.
"This workshop is about opening conversations, building resilience, and making sure no one feels alone.
“It supports the commitment in our We Are Wychavon Plan to recruit people in our communities to promote mental wellbeing and signpost them to support.”