Arla and Asda backs FCN charity event with the Yorkshire Shepherdess

With increasing pressures on farmers from the pandemic, the isolation of often working alone and future uncertainty all contributing to mental health issues, the two organisations are linking up with FCN to give support back to farmers during challenging times.

This sponsorship builds upon an existing charity partnership between Arla Farmer’s Milk, Asda and FCN announced in December 2020 to help provide practical, financial and emotional support to British farmers through FCN’s Time to Plan initiative: https://farmwell.org.uk/time-to-plan/

The online Q&A event with Amanda takes place on Tuesday 16 February (7:00pm – 8:15pm). Amanda is well-known to audiences throughout the UK and beyond as the star of Channel 5’s ‘Our Yorkshire Farm’.

The event is sponsored by Arla Farmers Milk, available exclusively at Asda. Every bottle of this milk purchased also gives back an extra 25p to support farmers.

This follows a similar charity event on 26 January with Julian Norton, The Yorkshire Vet, which saw hundreds of attendees of all ages tuning in, listening to Julian’s tales of working as a vet, his most memorable experiences with farmers and his support of the work FCN does.

Funds raised from ticket sales go towards FCN, a national charity with volunteers throughout England and Wales, which supports farmers and farming families during difficult times.

Alex Phillimore, Marketing and Communications Manager with The Farming Community Network, said: “FCN welcomes Arla and Asda’s support of this exciting upcoming event with Amanda Owen, The Yorkshire Shepherdess. This builds upon our existing charity partnership and will help to keep people positive during this period of lockdown in the UK. This is a great opportunity to bring people together as a community, even when we’re apart.

“Our event with Julian Norton saw families across the UK tuning in, and we heard some fantastic questions from aspiring vets and farmers. We anticipate lots of great questions from audiences for Amanda’s event as well, and we are very grateful for Amanda’s time and support of FCN.

“For those in the farming community who may be experiencing difficulty, FCN is here to listen, support you and connect you with appropriate help. You can contact us through our Helpline (03000 111 999) and e-Helpline (help@fcn.org.uk).”

Lauren Smith, spokesperson for Arla Farmer’s Milk, said: “As a farmer owned cooperative, famers are at the heart of Arla. We are delighted to be partnering with Asda to ensure that farmers across the country get the mental health and wellbeing support they need, especially in these challenging times.”

Chris Brown, Asda’s Sustainable Business Director, said: “At Asda, we are proud to support our farmers, who continue to provide our customers with quality produce despite the many difficulties some farmers are currently facing into due to the pandemic. We know the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing, which is why we continue to show our support for the farming community with initiatives like this.”

To book your ticket for this event, visit: the-ticket.shop/FCNevents