Embrace FARM, a group which supports the families of victims of farm accidents, is seeking expressions of interest from people interested in providing professional mentoring services for a new programme.

The organisation has been awarded funding to develop a pilot project – to be known as Encircle – aimed at informing and supporting farm families affected by sudden types of traumas on farms in Ireland. Its focus is on farm accidents, and suspected suicides on farms.

Embrace FARM is the lead partner in a project that also involves IFAC, Agricultural Solicitors, Agricultural Consultants Association, Rural Support, and the HSE National Office of Suicide Prevention.

Encircle will support farm families, with specialist individual supports for those who have lost a loved one in a farm accident, in a suspected suicide, or have been seriously injured because of a sudden trauma.

20 farm deaths a year

Embrace FARM wants to engage professional mentors to provide support to the farm families participating in the programme.

Mentors must have the necessary qualifications, experience, and abilities to provide consulting services to the farm families concerned.

Embrace FARM was set up in 2014 by Brian and Norma Rohan, after the death of Brian’s father Liam on their family farm in Co Laois in 2012. The Rohans felt that there were no specific supports for families such as theirs, to help them through their journey of grief.

The Health & Safety Authority reports, on average, 20 deaths a year from farm accidents.

“Farm families must face working and living in the same place where fatal farm accidents occur, and this is a huge situation for them to cope with in the months and years following the accident,” says Embrace FARM.

Support network

The organsiation says that it is founded on the vision of the industry being a caring, supportive, and non-judgmental community to all those affected by farm accidents. It is aiming to expand and sustain a support network for those affected by the issue.

Those interested in providing mentoring services under the Encircle programme are asked to fill out an expression-of-interest form, and return it to info@embracefarm.com by Monday, 21 March, at 5pm.

Applicants should include a most recent copy of their CV, examples of similar projects they may have worked on, and a summary of why they would be a good fit for the programme.