One man in five dies before the age of 65.
TOGETHER we can change that.

Scotland gets fit for farming

25/07/17 . Partners

The Forum has teamed up with NHS Grampian’s Public Health team and the National Farmers Union Scotland to launch a local edition of Fit for Farming, our information booklet aimed at helping farmers to lead healthy, happy lives.

The booklet, written with farmers for farmers, has been adapted to provide local information and support.

The booklet covers physical and mental health topics, including sections on how to be good to your body, your brain and how to handle the ups and downs of life. It also has a useful directory of local services and help lines.

Susan Webb, Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian, said: 'I am delighted to launch this booklet, Fit for Farming. We recognise that those working in the agricultural sector in Grampian face daily challenges that can take their toll on the health of the farmer. Working in isolation, often in extreme weather, with hard physical labour, animal diseases and financial pressures can all have effects which may lead to personal health problems and mental strain. A family farming business can be severely impacted through illness or poor health. 

'In partnership with the NFU Scotland, we are committed to helping everyone in the farming community to look after their own health.'

Davie Winton, NFU Scotland’s Regional Chairman for the North East, commented: 'NFU Scotland is delighted to be involved with this initiative and it ties in with our work in other regions of Scotland on the health and wellbeing of those in the industry. We hope that this booklet will encourage farmers and crofters to make their health and wellbeing a priority and take time to look after themselves, and those around them.

'Agriculture can often be a lonely industry to work in, particularly for more remote areas, and we hope by raising awareness of this issue that farmers, crofters and those working in the industry take the time to read this booklet, and seek help.'

Jim Pollard of the Men's Health Forum said: 'We’ve partnered with several farming organisations to produce a series of editions of this guide and it has been well received all over the country. One farmer’s wife told us that it was Fit for Farming that enabled her to persuade her husband to see the GP. You can’t get higher praise than that. We think farmers appreciate the high yield of information - all you need to know in just 40 easy-to-read pages.'

You can view the manual here:

 

 

 

The Men’s Health Forum need your support

It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking.

In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to.

It’s true that the UK’s men don’t have it bad compared to some other groups. We’re not asking you to ‘feel sorry’ for men or put them first. We’re talking here about something more complicated, something that falls outside the traditional charity fund-raising model of ‘doing something for those less fortunate than ourselves’. That model raises money but it seldom changes much. We’re talking about changing the way we look at the world. There is nothing inevitable about premature male death. Services accessible to all, a population better informed. These would benefit everyone - rich and poor, young and old, male and female - and that’s what we’re campaigning for.

We’re not asking you to look at images of pity, we’re just asking you to look around at the society you live in, at the men you know and at the families with sons, fathers and grandads missing.

Here’s our fund-raising page - please chip in if you can.

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