Suffolk’s rural chaplain offers 24/7 support for farmers

In the current climate of cost increases, receding subsidy support, and ever-inextricable red tape, more and more farmers find themselves struggling to cope with everyday life.

To help combat deteriorating mental health in farming, the Rural and Agricultural Chaplaincy team in Suffolk has been reaching out to farming communities in the county and beyond, offering support to those who need it.

Speaking to Farmers Guide, Mr Miles said his farming background has helped in understanding some of the problems farmers and their families are currently facing, allowing him to provide more targeted support.

Upon leaving school in Ipswich, Mr Miles enrolled in Otley Agriculture Institute (now Otley College), later securing a three-year apprenticeship with the final year specialising in livestock. He then completed a two-year farm management course and eventually became shepherd to a pedigree flock of Suffolk sheep on a farm just outside Fakenham in Norfolk.

Mr Miles became a licensed evangelist in 2018 to St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese and was soon offered the role of rural chaplain for Suffolk due to his experience in agriculture.

Other than phone calls, the chaplain also offers support via farm visits and often spends his time visiting farmers with Bishops Martin and Mike to hear their problems first-hand. He said the most common worries farmers talk about are rising input costs, red tape, and issues surrounding succession.

At a recent visit, one farmer also raised concerns over the lack of support from MPs to alleviate the crisis facing the sector. Mr Miles said he has attempted to contact the government on several occasions on behalf of farmers but has failed to make any headway so far.

Like others providing mental health support, the chaplain also experienced an increase in calls from across the agriculture industry since the pandemic. To help more farmers access support, he is working to extend the chaplaincy team across Suffolk with members who come from a farming/countryside background.

Mr Miles also works closely with other mental health charities and is a Farming Community Network (FCN) coordinator for Suffolk and county representative for the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

Although the service is primarily aimed at the Christian community, Mr Miles encourages farmers of all faiths and beliefs to reach out.

“My phone is available 24/7 and l always answer because it takes a lot of courage to pick up the phone in the first place, so I am always available to listen,” he said, assuring farmers that all calls are conducted in strict confidence.

Chaplain Graham Miles can be contacted by phone on 07413 683368 or via email at graham.miles.lightwave@gmail.com.

The Rural and Agricultural Chaplaincy in Suffolk is part of Lightwave, a Christian community meeting in small groups in homes, pubs, offices, schools and other places which works alongside more traditional ways of doing church.

Lightwave groups eat together, have fun, support each other and try to put faith to work in practical care for friends and neighbours and the most needy in our society. To learn more about Lightwave and the work they do, visit: https://www.lightwave.community/