Coinciding with Farm Safety Foundation’s Farm Safety Week (22nd – 26th July 2024), a team of young nutritionists from Mole Valley Farmers are cycling between our feed mills to raise money and awareness for the vital work of the Farm Safety Foundation, a charity close to the hearts of all the team. The Farm Safety Foundation aligns closely with our drive to support the wider physical and mental well being of young people in agriculture.

The planned 250-mile route is as follows:

Day 1 – Thursday 25th July: Lifton, Devon/Cornwall border to Dorchester, Dorset

Day 2 – Friday 26th July: Dorchester, Dorset to Huntworth, Somerset

Day 3 – Saturday 27th July: Huntworth, Somerset to Lifton, Cornwall, via our new organic mill at Uffculme, Devon

Taking on the challenge will be Kerensa Hawkey, Pete Reis and Lizzie Thacker. Throughout the challenge the team will be supported on each leg by colleagues from across Mole Valley Farmers. Please support our team as they tackle this gruelling challenge and help them raise funds for the vital work of the Farm Safety Foundation.

Please click the link to donate and also follow us on our Instagram and Facebook channels – the team will be posting regularly on their progress during the ride.

More about the Farm Safety Foundation:

Also known as Yellow Wellies, the Farm Safety Foundation is an independent registered charity working throughout the UK to address the attitudes and behaviours to risk-taking and poor mental health in the next generation of farmers (under 40yrs).

It was set up with the aim to help young farmers challenge their behaviours and change their attitude to farm safety. The foundation provides training courses at colleges throughout the UK to highlight the risks involved in farming and to offer practical solutions to addressing these risks.

Farming is the most dangerous occupation in the UK, with 22 deaths of farm workers and members of the public, including a child, recorded during 2021/22 (according to the latest HSE Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Report). This means 25 families and communities mourning the loss of a loved one and we need this to stop. The ultimate aim of the foundation is to have zero avoidable deaths on farms – to achieve this, the foundation works closely with partners in the industry to engage, educate and communicate strong and relatable farm safety messages.

To-date, the foundation’s award-winning education programme has delivered innovative farm safety training to over 21,000 young farmers in 44 different land-based colleges and universities across the UK, and through the Young Farmers Clubs network. Through national campaigns such as, Farm Safety Week – and Mind Your Head – the Farm Safety Foundation is tackling the stigma around risk-taking and poor mental health, ensuring that that next generation of farmers is resilient and equipped with smart strategies and specific skills to live well and farm well.