£1.5m fund opens to boost farmer mental health support

A £1.5 million Defra fund has opened for organisations providing mental health, wellbeing and business resilience support to farmers across England.

Applications for the expanded Farmer Welfare Grant are open until midday on 9 September, with funding available over the next three years.

The scheme is aimed at organisations already working closely with farming communities rather than individual farmers.

The funding is intended to help those organisations expand targeted support for both personal wellbeing and farm business resilience.

Defra said long working hours, isolation, financial pressure, unpredictable weather and the demands of running a farm business can all affect farmer wellbeing.

“Farming is at the heart of our food system and rural economy, but we know that many farmers face significant challenges,” the department said.

The new funding builds on the previous Farmer Welfare Grant and is designed to support practical projects that can deliver longer-term benefits for farming communities.

Applications opened on 6 August and close at midday on 9 September.

Organisations considering an application are being encouraged to check the eligibility criteria and guidance before submitting a bid.

Clarification questions can be submitted through the application portal until 28 August.

Defra said all questions and answers would be made public to ensure applicants have equal access to information.

The department will also hold two webinars for organisations interested in applying.

An applicant guidance webinar will take place on Thursday 13 August from 2pm to 3pm, covering the purpose of the grant, eligibility, eligible activities and expenditure, and how applications will be assessed.

A second webinar on Monday 17 August from 10am to 11am will provide a walkthrough of the application portal and guidance on completing the application form.

Recordings of both sessions are expected to be made available afterwards.

Applicants experiencing technical problems with the portal can also contact the help desk on weekdays between 8am and 6pm, excluding bank holidays.

Once the application window closes, bids will be reviewed and scored by a panel of Defra policy and delivery experts.

Funding decisions will be made after all applications have been assessed, with applicants expected to be notified of the outcome in October.