Young author and rural GP honoured for farm safety work
An 11-year-old author, a rural GP, a farming leader and more than 5,000 young farmers have been recognised for helping drive safer practices across UK agriculture.
The Farm Safety Foundation named its 2026 Farm Safety Heroes as Farm Safety Week drew to a close. Recipients from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were honoured for their work in education, rural healthcare, industry leadership and peer support.
Those behind the initiative said lasting change was often led “not by grand gestures, but by the simple actions” of people who choose to work safely every day.
England’s Farm Safety Hero is 11-year-old Erin Thompson from Lamplugh, Cumbria. She began creating farm safety stories at around the age of seven, inspired by growing up on her family’s farm.
Known locally as “the girl in the yellow wellies”, Erin’s stories and illustrations helped inspire The Girl in the Yellow Wellies Stays Safe on the Farm. The story and activity book debuted at agricultural shows across the UK this summer.
It is designed to help children and families talk about farm risks and encourage safer behaviour from an early age.
Dr Rebecca Orr was named Northern Ireland’s Farm Safety Hero. A rural GP with a farming background and experience of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, she has worked to improve health and safety across agricultural communities.
Through the Northern Ireland Agri-Rural Health Forum, Dr Orr has helped bring together farming organisations, charities and health professionals. She was recognised for promoting preventative action and linking physical safety with mental wellbeing and community resilience.
Scotland’s Farm Safety Hero is Duncan Macalister, vice-president of NFU Scotland. He runs a 2,000-acre mixed livestock farm at Glenbarr on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula.
Mr Macalister was recognised for using his industry role to promote risk awareness, quad bike safety and mental wellbeing. His work has also helped keep farm safety on the agenda at both industry and policy level.
In Wales, the recognition went to Wales YFC and its network of more than 5,000 members. The organisation is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026 and was honoured for its work on safety education, mental health and rural community support.
Its activities include farm safety competitions, the Yellow Wellies Farm Safe Curve training module and an interactive safety escape-room game developed with the Wales Farm Safety Partnership.
Wales YFC has also launched a competition with Achub Bywyd Cymru, also known as Save a Life Wales, encouraging clubs to learn and share CPR skills for the chance to win a defibrillator.
The group’s wider wellbeing work includes a Mental Health Champion Award at its annual Agri Awards.
Together, the recipients were recognised for using education, healthcare, leadership and shared learning to improve safety and wellbeing across farming communities.
