WESTERN PRODUCER — The Do More Agriculture Foundation has launched the Walk With Me campaign today, which is World Mental Health Day.
The campaign is intended to raise mental health awareness and honour the memories of those in the agriculture community who have died by suicide.
Participants are encouraged to invite others along for a walk, share their stories and foster community connections.
Chris Manley, founder of the Walk With Me campaign and a beef and sheep farmer in East Devon, England, initiated the campaign as a response to managing his own depression.
“I regularly walk and journal and created a short poem called ‘Walk with me’ that outlined the many feelings that someone might have when their mental health is low,” he said in a statement released by the Do More Agriculture Foundation.
” I thought to myself how lucky I am to have support, and wouldn’t it be terrible if someone felt alone, particularly on a farm? So I decided to post a video on social media of me walking and reciting the poem to start the campaign, to encourage people to walk and talk, as a step towards recovery.”
BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions will match donations up to $10,000 to the Walk With Me campaign.
Do More Agriculture encouraged participants to get involved in the campaign starting today and continuing until Oct. 20.
Participants are encouraged to:
- Go for a walk: Walk and talk with a friend in person or over the phone. Use the hashtag #WalkWithMe and tag @domoreag online to share the experience on social media.
- Honouring others – Share stories of those who have lost someone to mental illness.
- Share stories – Participants can share their thoughts, experiences and stories about mental health.
- Donate – Visit the Do More Ag Foundation’s website to make a contribution.
- Participate in the Walk With Me workshop – Register at Eventbrite, here.
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