Farm Safety Partnership welcomes Rural Support as a new full member

The Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) today congratulated Rural Support who have been awarded full Farm Safety Partnership membership status.

The Farm Safety Partnership is made up of key stakeholders with an interest in farm safety and whose key aim is to reduce work-related fatalities and injuries on Northern Ireland's farms.

Since its inception, the FSP has succeeded in changing the farming community’s attitudes and minds in relation to farm health and safety awareness and all partners welcome Rural Support’s membership as a positive step forward in helping the partnership achieve its aim of zero fatalities on our farms.

Rural Support was established in 2001 to deal with the emotional trauma of the farming and rural community after the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. It started initially as a Helpline for distressed farmers and their families, latterly it has extended its services to provide one-to-one business, financial and technical mentoring, supported by DAERA, the Public Health Agency and other stakeholders, with the objective to reduce emotional distress and help alleviate poor mental health triggers.

Rural Support are also at the forefront of the development and operation of a Social Farming Support Service in Northern Ireland which provides a unique solution to meeting the social needs of our most disadvantaged citizens.

Welcoming Rural Support to the FSP, Chairperson Harry Sinclair said: “I am delighted to welcome our new full member, Rural Support, to the Farm Safety Partnership family. They have proved their commitment to keeping health and safety issues at the front of their activities, and along with the other FSP partners they will play an essential role in keeping our farmers and their families safe and well.

“It is only by working together with all of the partners that we will be able to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Northern Ireland farms and I would encourage all other stakeholders with a passion for farm safety to apply to join the affiliates scheme.”

Veronica Morris, Rural Support Chief Executive said: “I am delighted that Rural Support has been asked to be a partner of the Farm Safety Partnership. There are many synergies between our activities and the work of the partnership and we look forward to working together to improve health and safety across the agri-sector in Northern Ireland.”

Current members of the Farm Safety Partnership include:

• Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
• Farm Safety Foundation (FSF)
• Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)
• Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU)
• National Farmers Union Mutual (NFUM)
• Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA)
• Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster (YFCU)

Notes to editors: 

1) The Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) comprises the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), National Farmers Union Mutual (NFUM), the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU), the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF) and the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA). The FSP aims to increase awareness of farm safety and to reduce work-related fatalities and injuries on Northern Ireland’s farm.

2) The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Department for the Economy (DfE).

3) For media enquiries please contact HSENI Press Office on 028 9024 3249 or email media@hseni.gov.uk. For out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.

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