The Royal Countryside Fund renews support for rural health checks funded by The Health Lottery Foundation
The RCF has been awarded funding from The Health Lottery Foundation to continue its ‘Checking the Pressure of Farming Life’ programme, extending the delivery of essential healthcare services directly to farming and rural communities over the next two years.
This work aims to tackle the serious and often overlooked health challenges facing the UK’s farming communities.
Over the next year, this new funding will support the RCF’s work with four organisations from its Farm Support Groups Initiative, which brings together support groups from across the UK. These groups are embedded within their farming communities, providing wide-ranging and vital support to farming families.
The four groups which will deliver support over the next year are:
- Field Nurse
- Lincolnshire Rural Support Network
- Monmouthshire Rural Support Centre
- Warwickshire Rural Hub
As part of the programme, each group will provide drop-in clinics, offering tailored services based on the needs of each region, including health screening, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, referrals to GPs or specialist services, advice on nutrition and fitness, and mental wellbeing support.
Crucially, these clinics are run at local livestock marts and events, to help meet members of rural and farming communities at a place they already attend.
The project, which began in 2025, is now entering its second year. Over its first year it provided 210 dedicated healthcare clinics run at 30 locations across England, Wales and Scotland, delivering physical and mental health checks to 3,313 people.
In many cases the checks highlighted issues that were unknown to the individual and encouraged them to seek out further medical attention. For example, 29% of cholesterol checks by LRSN revealed undiagnosed raised levels, and almost half (48%) of people who engaged with Field Nurse’s clinics went on to book a GP follow-up appointment.
Keith Halstead, Chief Executive, The Royal Countryside Fund, said:
“The first year of this project was hugely successful, providing health checks to over 3,300 people in farming communities who otherwise might not have the time to seek out medical help. This programme works because it is delivered by local groups who know their communities, are trusted by them, and importantly can meet them where they already gather. It’s all about recognising the unique pressures of farming life and meeting these challenges with compassionate, practical and community-based solutions.
“This work is addressing the often overlooked crisis in rural healthcare and we’re really proud to be extending this work for another year. We are very grateful to The Health Lottery Foundation and the Health Lottery Players for their support, which has already made such a clear difference to the lives of thousands of farmers and their families across the UK.”
Delva Patman, Chief Executive, The Health Lottery Foundation, said:
“We are delighted to provide further funding to The Royal Countryside Fund to continue the healthcare support they are offering to farmers. We have been impressed by the strong partnerships forged with the Farm Support Groups, that have allowed health checks to be offered to farmers in the places that they already visit. Thanks to players of The Health Lottery for making this donation possible.”