Aurivo Co-operative is driving a new rural mental health campaign by featuring Samaritans’ helpline signage on its milk tankers and Homeland & Nutrias trucks travelling across the north-west.
Aurivo has partnered with mental health charity, Samaritans with the aim of raising awareness of Samaritans’ freephone number 116 123 among farmers and other people living in north-west rural Ireland, especially those living or working in isolation.
The campaign is supported by Aurivo and a number of milk processers who are all members of the Ibec group Dairy Industry Ireland (DII).
Speaking about the partnership with Samaritans, Donal Tierney CEO of Aurivo says “farmers are first to look after the health of their animals, but they often forget to prioritise their own mental wellbeing.
Aurivo values its 10,000 dairy, beef and sheep farmer members and their dedication to producing the best quality milk and meat products. We hope that if they need support or to talk to someone that this initiative will encourage them to do so.”
Frank Considine, volunteer with Sligo Samaritans, said the initiative will target those hard-to-reach groups who are often most at risk of loneliness and isolation, may have family, work or financial worries, have mental health problems, or feel suicidal.