WTF?! £7,500 raised to support mental health first aid

A group from Chagford has raised £7,500 to support training and awareness in mental health first aid and suicide prevention for communities across Dartmoor.

The ‘WTF?! Witheridge To Frenchbeer’ fund-raiser was created in memory of Dartmoor farmer Mike Malseed, who sadly took his own life in November, 2021, following an acute mental health crisis.

Working with Mike’s family, his good friends Sue Parrott and Alison (Boots) Bright came up with the idea of following his life journey from Witheridge, where he was born, to Frenchbeer Farm, where he lived for more than 35 years. They set out to raise £5,000 through a fund-raising weekend involving walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders following a route from Witheridge to Frenchbeer, with a reception in Chagford at the end. The initiative was backed up by a social media campaign, which attracted around 100 followers.

“After Mike died, we tried to think what might have helped at the time and what could benefit others facing a similar crisis,” said Sue. “We realised that many of us had attended a physical first aid course, but we didn’t know how to deal with a life-threatening mental health crisis. So, we decided to address this gap by providing mental health first aid training, which will not only increase awareness of the warning signs, but also give people more confidence to intervene.”

The money will go to the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project (DHFP), Farming Community Network (FCN) and Chagford Recreational Trust to pay for several face-to-face courses aiming to widen awareness of the warning signs of mental ill health and how to signpost people to sources of further support. We hope to attract leaders or representatives from a range of community and interest groups, such as football or running clubs, young farmers, volunteers and so on. The aim is to empower the participants with knowledge on how to identify those who may be at high risk and how to guide them towards appropriate support that might save their lives. Having people with this awareness and ability to respond is especially important in isolated rural areas lacking more formal support systems.

The courses will be held at Chagford Recreational Trust Clubhouse. We already have some interest from sports and interest groups in Chagford but would welcome additional applications from people who represent farming and community groups across Dartmoor. The first course will be held on 2nd May, and is an accredited course conducted in collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and hosted by DHFP with a particular focus on recognising and dealing with pressures within farming. Please contact the relevant organisation (email addresses below).

To promote the awareness message, WTF?! will be distributing ‘help’ cards featuring emergency phone numbers for suicide prevention and mental health support. Having this information at hand could make all the difference and potentially save the life of someone in crisis.

“Since the campaign has exceeded the target of £5,000 set for mental health first aid training, we will be able to support additional mental health initiatives offered through DHFP. Added Sue: one of these is to increase opportunities for farmers to connect with each other through a network of informal farmers’ breakfasts. These are open to individuals from rural areas across Dartmoor and create a space for regular social interaction. Contact DHFP if interested in attending or running more Farmer Breakfast events.”

Did you know?

1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

1 in 5 adults will have suicidal thoughts at some point during their lifetime.

The suicide rate for men is 3.5 times higher than that for women, with middle-aged men accounting for 70% of all suicides.

Studies indicate that doctors, dentists, nurses, vets and farmers have the highest rates of suicide, with the rate for farmers being 1.3 times that of the national average.

Only 1 in 8 adults with a mental health problem is currently receiving treatment.

Where to get help

Call the Farming Community Network helpline to talk to a sympathetic person who understands farming and rural life: 03000 111 999 (7am-11pm)

RABI provides a farming helpline on 0800 188 444 (24 hours)

Samaritans: 116 123 (24 hours)

National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0800689 5652 (24 hours)

Contact Chagford Recreational Trust to apply for basic training aimed mainly at young people: admin@chagford.org.uk.

Contact Dartmoor Hill Farm Project to apply for a place on 2nd May, for the (half day) accredited mental health first aid training course, or for more information on farmer breakfasts: hfp@dartmoor.gov.uk.