The organisation, which offers peer-to-peer stories and recommendations, supported by experts and scientific knowledge, was started in 2022 following the Doug Avery Tour, which saw thousands of farmers and crofters attend events across Scotland to hear a first-person encounter of the struggles with poor wellbeing and the importance of developing mental resilience.
The tour’s success and the commitments of a voluntary steering group, resulted in a new partnership with the charity Movember, to secure enough funds to launch Farmstrong. The charity agreed to match fund pound-for-pound, up to the maximum of £350,000, thus generating the required £700,000 to start Farmstrong.
It was confirmed at the AGM that Farmstrong has met their target, concluding the fundraising element of their partnership with Movember.
The funds have been released in phases over the last two years, ensuring a strong programme of activity and content could be delivered. Commenting on the fundraising, John Scott, Farmstrong Chairman and one of the founders of Farmstrong said,
“This is an incredible achievement and one that would not have been possible without all those who have fundraised for Farmstrong over the last two years. Every pound has contributed to the target, ensuring the charity could be a reality, and one that will, and is already, helping farmers and crofters across Scotland.
“My heartfelt thanks go to all those who have fundraised for us, and the team at Movember for believing in Farmstrong, and working with us to develop our strategy, monitoring and evaluation, and fundraising activities.”
With the match funding now ended, Farmstrong is launching their own fundraising initiatives, to ensure the charity can continue to secure enough core funding to run the programme. Annually a range of events are hosted across Scotland, alongside free resources including toolkits, webinars, podcasts, stories, workshops, and self-check gamification supporting the industry to make small steps that deliver a big impact.
Alix Ritchie, Director of Farmstrong highlighted how important this next phase is for the future of the programme.
“We all know how unpredictable farming and crofting can be, the ups and downs and the uncertainty mean it is essential we support the sector so they can face these challenges, with a strong wellbeing bank account on their side. This can be as simple as taking some time out of the farm, doing some exercise, catching up with friends, or taking a moment to pause.
“However, all too often we are moving from one job to the next and forget about these essential daily habits. Farmstrong is there to support, remind and refresh the industry, whilst also signposting those who need one-to-one, confidential help.”
The charity is calling on the industry to get behind them to ensure this work can continue with a small staff team and voluntary board already in place, alongside some community groups that have been piloted over the last year.
A fundraising campaign will be launched in January 2026, aligning with the Five Steps of Wellbeing – connect, take notice, keep learning, be active, and give. This includes the new Farmstrong Business Club, which is already live, offering individuals and businesses the chance to make an annual donation that will support the development of practical resources, workshops, community events and groups, and stories and podcasts, helping reduce isolation, build resilience and support positive change.
To find out more about how you can support the charity, visit their new supporters page at https://www.farmstrongscotland.org.uk/supporters