51AVÊÓƵ

A farming charity is tackling the subject of suicide head on after new figures revealed 47 members of the agricultural industry took their own life during 2024 alone.

Launching its ninth, annual Mind Your Head Week which runs until February 13, the 51AVÊÓƵSafety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) said this year its campaign mission was to ‘tackle suicide risk in UK agriculture'.

Four-year low

The move follows the latest Office for National Statistics figures which showed 47 suicides were registered in England and Wales among the farming and agricultural industry in 2024. Meanwhile, the charity's own research revealed for UK farmers aged over 40, mental well-being has plummeted to a four-year low.

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As a member of the Royal Foundation's National Suicide Prevention Network (NSPN), Yellow Wellies is collaborating with fellow NSPN member Baton of Hope to launch a farming-themed digital suicide awareness and prevention package. This initiative is supported by the Royal Foundation's £1 million funding to drive innovation and delivery in suicide prevention.

Raising awareness

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the 51AVÊÓƵSafety Foundation, said: "Over the past nine years, we have made significant strides in raising awareness and improving education around mental health. However, when it comes to suicide prevention, progress has been far more limited.

"While agriculture in the UK benefits from rural support groups and charities who deliver vital, high-quality support, a critical gap remains: there is still very little suicide prevention training tailored specifically for those working in agriculture.

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"Farming brings a unique set of pressures – long hours, isolation, financial uncertainty, generational expectations and physical risk. Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience.

"Without training designed for the realities of agricultural life, we risk leaving those most vulnerable without the tools they need to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively."

The charity's latest research reveals that overall well-being within the farming community lags behind the UK general population and has fallen to its lowest point in four years. This is measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, a widely used national measure of positive mental health.

Resilience

Mental well-being among farmers over 40 years old has hit a four-year low, with the sharpest decline being among those aged 61 – historically the most resilient group. Until recently, this age group consistently reported mental well-being levels above the UK average – a sign of resilience in one of the toughest professions. But that resilience is now under severe strain.

Ms Berkeley added: "Farming is tough. Long hours, hard graft and a mindset that says ‘just get on with it'.

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"That grit is admirable – but it is also why some farmers leave it too late to ask for help. As we enter 2026, we want to address the issue of suicide awareness and prevention. Too many farming families are quietly carrying the weight of crisis and loss.

"The message this year is simple: learn the steps, start conversations earlier and look out for each other. When communities know what to say and what to do, lives can be saved."Ìý

Essential contacts:

• In England and Wales, RABI's free helpline is available 24 hours a day through calling 0800 188 4444 or an online webchat is available at .
• In Scotland, free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 or through a confidential webchat service available at rsabi.org.uk.
• The helpline is available on 03000 111 999. Calls will be answered in person from 7am-11pm every day of the year.
• If you are struggling with your mental health or having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:
• For confidential support, can be contacted for free, around-the-clock, 365 days a year on 116 123.
• 24 mental health hub: 111 (Available 24/7)
• If you do not feel you can keep yourself safe right now, please seek immediate help by attending any Accident and Emergency (A&E) or contact 999 and request an ambulance.