Have Your Say: Rural Mental Health Inquiry - Dec 2, 2021

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has launched an inquiry into the mental health of people living and working in rural communities, with a view to making recommendations on how the government can make improvements. This is an opportunity to have your say about the services available to you and your community.

’…for some people working in rural communities there are special factors that are often hidden in a world that sometimes feels like it is driven by those living in towns and cities.’ Neil Parish MP and chair of the EFRA Committee.

There’s already lots of evidence about the prevalence of mental health issues generally. For example, most of us will have come across the statistic that one-in-four people experience a mental health problem of some kind each year.

However some sectors report higher statistics than this. The isolation of some livelihoods, including the gamekeeping professions, is just one factor which can lead to people in them being more vulnerable compared to other professions. Additionally, mental health services can be challenging to get to when you live in a rural area.

At the GWT we take all aspects of health seriously, providing support, counselling and training opportunities for those in gamekeeping professions and their dependants.

Health is something which impacts us all. Please take the time to have your say. You can participate in the EFRA Committee Rural Health Inquiry here.

The issues raised in the Inquiry may be upsetting for some people. Please don’t hesitate to call us free and confidentially on Jamie’s Helpline 0300 1233 088.