Cornwall’s Farming Health Hub has launched a new website to support people in farming and those living and working in rural communities.

Cornwall's Farming Health Hub will be offering a digital tool kit which will provide farming communities with mental, physical and business health advice across its online platform.

Funded by Smartline and Agritech, and developed by web designer, Geoff Muskett, the new Farming Health Hub website hosts a range of new resources including the ‘Tractor Wheel of life’, a free two minute self assessment tool which encourages individuals to consider the quality of their lives and the health of their business.

Developed in partnership with Duchy College, the visual device sees participants score themselves on how satisfied they are with key areas such as their financial situation, their health, their family and working lives, and succession planning, and aims to help them to prioritise which areas to be proud of and which areas they need to work on.

Farming Health Hub has also partnered with the Help@hand community to develop a new app which provides access to the latest support services available for farming and the wider community within Cornwall, alongside regional and national help lines and resources.

The Help@hand community app offers a free digital signposting tool that links to a network of local support and wellness activities and is personalised to the individual.

 

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Last year the Health Hub worked with people across the private, public and voluntary sector to develop a leaflet containing the latest information about the support available for farmers and their families during the pandemic, as well as practical advice on how people can protect their physical and mental health - with the information gained also available on the new website.

Jon James, Chief Executive of the Farming Health Hub, said: "The aim of Farming Health Hub is to provide a single source of business, physical and mental health support for farmers and their families.

"We know that many people in farming and those living and working in rural communities have struggled to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the past 12 months.

"Our new website is one of the many ways we are actively working to signpost Cornwall’s farming community to the wide range of support which is available to them wherever they are.

"We have already seen the positive impact of collaboration with our wide range of partners, and hope that the new website and our ongoing work with the farming community in Cornwall will inspire more young people to actively get involved with us."

The Farming Health Hub was set up in order to provide support in three general areas - general physical health checks, such as eye and hearing tests, diabetes, cholesterol and dental health checks and mental health support, including managing stress, anxiety and depression and coping with rural isolation and loneliness.

It includes representatives from a wide range of organisations, including the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution; the National Farmers Union; Cornwall Young Farmers; Exeter University; Public Health and other health and wellbeing specialists; auctioneers, banks and local churches.

You can find out more information by visiting the website: farminghealth.co.uk