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The suicide rate in agriculture is nearly three times that of the accidental death rate. On average 84 people take their lives in the British agricultural community. It comes down to charities like the Farming Community Network to be there for farmers who are struggling with mental health. They are the first port of call for pastoral and practical support of all those in need in the farming community, with a particular focus on farmers and farming families.
Having had my own battle with mental health, I appreciate the seriousness of their cause. Hence, to raise £5,000 and increase the awareness of mental health in agriculture, this summer my travel companion Alan Walker and I are going to drive a highly inappropriate Mazda MX-5 from London to Mongolia. We will be tackling some of the most challenging roads in the world including the famed Pamir Highway on a 10,000 mile route to Mongolia. If that wasn't hard enough. I will be driving back again....
As well as fundraising, I will be documenting my emotional and mental journey through a video diary called MyMentalJourney to show how anyone could battle with mental health and how important it is to talk about it. You can follow the journey at: https://twitter.com/TheMXFarmers