Vice Chair of Penistone Young Farmers calls on others from rural backgrounds to 'talk more'
24-year-old Will Amos has lost two friends to suicide in recent years
Farmers across South Yorkshire are being urged to 'start talking more openly to each other' about their problems.
It's as mental wellbeing levels in the industry are thought to be on the decline-with 36 suicides registered in the last 3 years across the sector in the UK.
24-year-old Will Amos is the Vice Chair of the Penistone Young Farmers group.
Two of his friends-who were also young farmers-took their own lives recently.
He tells us the job can often leave people feeling socially isolated:
"The seasonality of farming is a problem I think with people's mental health.
"You're on a real high in the summer because you're harvesting and it's busy.
"There's more staff about in the summer, and then coming into the winter months it can be pretty lonely.
"It can also be pretty challenging for people who're struggling for money and work.
"In the spring, you're getting busy again, but you've got to prepare yourself to be busy again, which can also take a toll on you.
"Societies like Penistone Young Farmers are invaluable in getting everybody together and getting everybody talking.
"I think making them more accessible is the way forward.
"The easier it is to go, the more likely it is that people will go, and if they've had a bad day then that's exactly when they need to be going, so they're crucial."
Any farmers from South Yorkshire struggling with their mental health can access further support on the website below:
https://www.yellowwellies.org/mind-your-head/