Are Ewe Okay? wins Farming Hero award

A mental health campaign run by the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) has won the 'Farming Hero' Award at the British Farming Awards.

SAYFC's 'Are Ewe Okay' campaign was launched in May 2016. The campaign aims to target their audience of young people living in Scotland's rural communities through raising awareness of poor mental health triggers and causes, how to recognise the signs and how to seek help if you or others are suffering.

The British Farming Awards ceremony was held in Birmingham on 19 October 2017 and was attended by over 700 farmers and industry professionals. The evening was organised by Briefing Media, parent company of Farmers Guardian, Dairy Farmer and Arable Farming and supported by Morrisons.

Penny Mongomerie, SAYFC Chief Executive said:

"We had noticed an ever prominent number of cases within our members, therefore it was an issue we felt we had to address."

Suzie Dunn, National Chairman of SAYFC said:

"There are issues which affects our young people in the agricultural industry, such as isolation and working in such an unpredictable industry, as well as the usual worries and challenges facing this generation."

The Farming Hero award, sponsored by Volac, recognises a group who strive to make a positive difference to the lives of people during times of uncertainty or adversity.

Campaign Manager Joanna Foubister said:

"It is a phenomenal honour to win the Farmers Guardian Farming Hero award and to be recognised for the ‘Are Ewe Okay?’ campaign. We know one in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health so we predominately launched the campaign for our members. But, through this fantastic opportunity and exposure from this award, it will enable us to reach a greater audience and ultimately spreading awareness of the cause is one of our key objectives. It is truly appreciated."

The campaign began with the intention to run for a year, with exposure of facts and figures to audiences on social media, as well as having an online presence through the association’s website promoting health triggers, recognising the signs and how to seek help if someone is suffering.

The campaign is now in its second year with the plan to continue the development, with the hope that the ‘Are Ewe Okay?’ brand will continue to grow.

Visit the SAYFC website to find out more about Are Ewe Okay?

To see the full list of winners visit the British Farming Awards website.