Prince William launches mental health strategy for Duchy’s tenant farmers

Under the new strategy, the Duchy will host social events, provide staff and farmer training, and farmers will be able to speak to trained staff via a dedicated wellbeing service.

The Duchy will provide mental health care and support via a “multi-layered approach”, and aims to destigmatise conversations around mental health.

With farmers working in an often lonely profession, and facing the uncertainty of weather and prices, there are multiple pressures that can impact mental wellbeing, and one farmer loses their battle with mental health every week in the UK.

The Duchy said it recognises these individual challenges and wants to make an active difference to the mental health conversation in rural communities.

Matthew Morris, rural director at The Duchy of Cornwall says: “Mental health is an incredibly important conversation to have, especially in the farming community.

“Talking about mental health in rural communities can be difficult and is often stigmatised, so one of things The Duchy want to do with the new Mental Health Strategy is to de-stigmatise the conversation and make it normal to talk about mental health.

“We are really proud to have now launched the strategy, as well as multiple support networks for our tenants where we hope we can make an active difference.”

To launch the strategy, the Duchy has partnered with RABI, the Farming Community Network and We Are Farming Minds, a charity co-founded by Duchy of Cornwall tenants Sam and Emily Stables.

Sam and Emily founded the charity following their own mental health struggles and having seen the stigma around mental health in the industry. The Duchy is partnering with We Are Farming Minds on the strategy for at least three years.

The new Mental Health Strategy is available now to all tenants across the estate.