Promoting the conversation around Rural Mental Health

Our rural communities are built around resilient individuals that are tough, rough and don’t tend to show their emotions. Rural mental health has a lot of catching up to do. This is a growing area of concern, and we need to find more ways to get the Rural Community to speak up and ask for help.

As a family-oriented company, we are dedicated to giving back and supporting mental health initiatives, recognising the impact of poor mental health and suicide within our rural communites due to isolation, stigma and lack of resources.

We partnered with Will To Live with the sole focus on getting help to the rural community that are most at risk due to mental health illnesses. The mission is close to the heart of the trust, as it was founded in 2018 by Elle Perriam after her partner, a young farmer, took his own life. Since then Will To Live has been promoting mental health awareness, providing one on one support, free education and wellbeing tools to small rural communities, often isolated from mental health resources.

Through initiatives like the Check on your Mates campaign we have supported the Will to Live Charitable Trust, in particular their Rural Change Programme.

Rural Change Fund

In September 2021 Will To Live launched “Rural Change” which is a fund for a private well-being programme for New Zealand farmers. This was motivated by the devastatingly long 8 week waiting lists to see a psychologist or counsellor currently in the public health system. Generally going private will mean shorter wait times and more experienced professionals that are dedicated to restoring your health long-term. Each farmer will have the opportunity to enhance and improve their health, happiness and well-being by accessing a personalised health professional guide, one funded private counselling/psychologist session, and onboarding to Rural Support Trust for future support. Find out more about Will To Live, and the Rural Change Fund.

Check On Your Mates

We initiated a campaign, Check on Your Mates, to support the Rural Change Programme, which aligned with Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). The campaign involved raising funds from the sale of CheckMate, CheckChick and CheckKid Polos during MHAW via the Stoney Creek website, Hunting & Fishing, Farmlands and Farm Source stores, and donating them to the Rural Change Fund. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness around the lack of mental health support in rural communities, to reduce the stigma, and to influence those who need it to ask for help or to check on their mates. In 2022 MHAW, the campaign raised $3,180 for the Rural Change Fund. Though seemingly modest, this contribution can significantly impact the Rural Change Fund’s ability to support rural mental health throughout the farming communities of New Zealand.

By raising awareness about the hurdles faced by rural areas and emphasising the importance of addressing mental health needs, our involvement in the conversation strives to foster understanding, support, and action for better mental health outcomes among people living and working in rural communities.

Get In Touch

Want to suggest an initiative or a project, or get involved in some way? Get in contact with us to talk more.

Make a Donation

Any support, no matter how big or small, makes a difference.