Farming and countryside support rural health week

Farming and countryside leaders have sent messages of support and urged people to get involved in this year’s Rural Health Week, which runs from September 18-24.

With a theme ’Achieving rural health and wellbeing - responding to a changing world’, the week aims to celebrate the successes as well as to raise awareness of the challenges involved in delivering health and social care services to dispersed rural communities.

The Institute of Rural Health (IRH), which organises Rural Health Week, is appealing to local, regional and national groups and organisations to get involved this year. The IRH is keen to highlight innovative practices that have been developed to address the particular challenges that rurality and remoteness present to rural people, their communities and services providers.

FUW president Emyr Jones, of Bala, said: ’This year’s Rural Health Week theme is an appropriate choice as we are living in rapidly changing times with regular reports being received of proposed cuts in vital rural services.

’Within the farming industry we are well aware that the age profile of rural communities is getting older and this has a major effect on the provision of health, social care and other services in these isolated areas.

’It means there will be more and more demands on such crucial services but all we hear is news about cuts in these vital facilities. The FUW is dedicated to the survival of rural Welsh communities and traditional family farms and this can only be achieved by halting the steady decline in our crucial services.

’The FUW applauds the Institute of Rural Health for its work in this respect and we urge all those with an interest in the needs of older members of our rural community to get involved with Rural Health Week.’

Peter Kendall, NFU president, said: ’Farmers have a tendency to take their health for granted. Hard work and fresh air are a tonic in themselves. But it does no harm at all to remind ourselves from time to time just how many risks are out there and how important it is that we are aware of them.

’That is why Rural Health Week is so worthwhile. It makes us stop and think, and if we stop and think, we are much more likely to remain safe and well.’

Morgan Parry, chair of the Countryside Council for Wales, said: "CCW has a role in promoting and enhancing the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales and has worked closely with the Institute of Rural Health to develop a position statement to this effect.

’We are happy to be the lead on the Wales Outdoor Health Forum, which aims to not only promote the use of the outdoors for health and wellbeing, but also to recognise the challenges faced in rural Wales in this respect.

’Rural Health Week is a great way to raise the profile of rural health and to promote collaborative working to tackle the issues faced."

Country Land and Business Association president William Worsley said: ’Rural communities must not become so isolated that the health of the people who live there is put at risk.

’Ensuring a good broadband service throughout the countryside should be a priority for the Government to enable rural people to look after their own health while also being able to ask for help through online medical services.’

Gaynor Orton, Care Farming UK’s executive officer, said: "Care Farming UK wishes Rural Health Week every success. It has been a pleasure working with the Institute of Rural Health to develop and establish Care Farming Wales and we look forward to further collaboration.’