By operating within familiar agricultural settings, these hubs improve access to care and reduce some of the practical and cultural barriers that can prevent farmers from seeking help. Market-based services offer routine health checks and confidential support on sale days and at key events, helping to identify concerns earlier and encourage open conversations around wellbeing.
At Melton Mowbray Market in Leicestershire, a health hub supported by the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (LRSN) operates every two weeks. Funded through a combination of market support, council landlords and charitable fundraising – including the Fatstock Society – the hub offers blood pressure checks, blood sugar & cholesterol testing and ECGs in a familiar, non-clinical environment.
Amy Thomas, Head of Charity at LRSN, says the demand for mental health support among farmers has risen sharply. “Calls relating to farmers’ mental health have risen by 249% over the past six years,” she explains. “In the last year alone, 11 people were identified as being at risk of suicide, and 33 people were affected by the suicide of someone close within the farming community.”