New ‘YourHealth Coach for Farmers’ Launched to Support Rural Wellbeing in North Yorkshire Region

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s YourHealth service has launched a new dedicated YourHealth Coach for Farmers. Funded through the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Men's Mental Health Fund, this new initiative is designed to support the health and wellbeing of people working in agriculture across the North Yorkshire region.

Recognising the unique pressures faced by farmers within rural communities, the new role aims to provide tailored support that is accessible and practical, whilst being sensitive to the realities of farming life.

The YourHealth Coach for Farmers, Alice, will be working directly with individuals and farming communities to help improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. The support Alice can provide includes help with lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, managing stress and accessing wider health services.

Farming can be physically demanding and often very isolating, with long hours and unpredictable working conditions. This new role has been created to respond to these challenges and ensure that farmers can access support in a way that works for them.

 The YourHealth Coach for Farmers will:

• Provide one-to-one personalised health coaching

• Deliver support in community and rural settings

• Offer flexible appointments that fit around farming schedules

• Signpost to additional NHS and community services

• Work in partnership with local agricultural organisations

Alice has already been out visiting the communities and attending major events to promote the service to those who need it most. The feedback has already been incredibly positive. One farmer who has already accessed support said, ‘The health check and chat was really worthwhile. It reminded me that looking after myself is just as important as looking after the livestock’. Another shared that, “It was relaxed and informal and felt more like having a chat, which made it much easier to open up about my health”.

Richard Beecroft, Health and Wellbeing Practitioner said, “Farmers are at the heart of our communities, yet their health needs can often go unmet due to the demands of their work. This new dedicated coaching role allows us to meet farmers where they are and provide support that fits around their lifestyle. We want farmers to know that support is available and that they don’t have to manage alone. Our goal is to make health support as accessible and approachable as possible.”

The initiative builds on the success of the YourHealth Fishermen service, which already provides free personalised health coaching across the East and North Yorkshire region for the coastal fishing community. The service is free and open to adults living or working in the North Yorkshire area who would benefit from support to improve their health and wellbeing.

By introducing a specialist focus on farming communities, the Trust aims to reduce health inequalities and improve access to preventative support for a group that is often harder to reach.