Laois-based farm service boosted by grant to help families hit by terminal illness
Embrace FARM broadens scope of support with new funding
A Laois-based farm charity has received a major boost to deliver on its mission to help families who have suffered an unexpected bereavement.
Embrace FARM is among 40 projects to share funding totalling €1.68 million from the Department of Agriculture for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects. Embrace FARM is one of the biggest recipients with €125,000 confirmed for its 'Outside the Farm Gate' project.
Embrace FARM was founded in 2014 by Brian and Norma Rohan following the tragic death of Brian's father, Liam Rohan, in a farm accident. It was founded to provide emotional and practical support to farm families affected by sudden deaths and injuries. It recently held its annual ecumenical Remembrance Service in Abbeyleix.
Catherine Kenneally, Embrace FARM Business Development Manager, explained to the Leinster Express / Laois Live how it broadens the scope of work done by the Shanahoe-headquartered organisation.
"Our ‘Outside the Farm Gate project’ is about reaching deeper into rural communities and organizations, ensuring that farming families affected by a wide range of sudden deaths including suicide, serious injuries and health issues know about and can access the vital well-being supports available, especially those previously unaware of Embrace FARM’s expanded services.
"The target audience for this project is farming families who are affected from sudden fatal illness, terminal illness and other serious challenges that impact their emotional and mental wellbeing.
"It will work cross-functionally with other organistions to widen the supports to farm families in rural isolated areas across Ireland. It will also help identify any other gaps in the services available to farm families who are affected by sudden challenging life circumstances and build on ways in addressing the gaps in services going forward," she said.
The Department said all the projects are being funded from a dedicated farm safety budget. It says successful projects under the call cover one or more of the following themes: farm safety, farmers’ physical health, farmers’ mental health and wellbeing, farmers’ physical and mental health checks, tractor driving awareness training for children 14 years of age and older, chainsaw training for farmers and farm safety, health and wellbeing events/engagement.
- Irish Farmers’ Association Irish Farmer Health Checks 2025 €250,000
- Irish Farmers Journal Irish Farmers Journal Health and Wellbeing Series €157,240
- Agriland Farm Safety Series 2025 €147,834
- Embrace FARM Outside the Farm Gate €125,000
- Agri Aware Sowing Wellbeing 2.0 €100,000
- Amella Wellbeing Coaching & Consultancy Ltd Farm Well Hub €90,000
- JPC Plant and Safety Training Farm Safety Training €90,000
- Irish Rural Link Farm Safety Community Champion Programme €60,000
- Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI2) New Modern Young Operator Skills Training Program €57,750
- FRS Training Farm Family CPD Extension €42,726
- Frank Hynes Break Free from Farming Stress €40,000
- Towra Livestock Services Safe handling of Livestock & Animal welfare officer Training €40,000
- Drinagh Co-Op Drinagh Sunsafe Initiative €39,360
- NEWKD Farm Families 1 Loc8 Farm Safety €36,900
- Irish Heart Foundation Farmers Have Hearts – Rapid Heath Check Programme €35,429
- Social Farming Ireland and Leitrim Development Company Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Mentorship for Social Farmers €32,975
- Midland Agri Consultants (Paul Belton) Lets talk about it! A warm invitation for a friendly chat with other farmers €32,460
- Mountbellew Agricultural College Drive Safe: Tractor Driving Skills for Tomorrow’s Leaders €30,455
- Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) FIT4FARMLIFE 2025 €25,000
- FORUM Connemara CLG Farm Community Health & Safety FORUM €20,356
- Mayo Mental Health Associations Taking Stock €20,000
- NEWKD Farm Families 2 NEWKD Safe Tractor Driving Skills €19,600
- Midland Agri Consultants (Paul Belton) 2 Farm Machinery Training and Education for Future Operators €19,200
- Melanie Downes - Horse Knowing Equine Assisted Learning €18,110
- South Kerry Development Partnership CLG SKDP Farmer Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative €16,329
- North-West Forest Services Ltd Enhancing Farm Safety Through Targeted Training €15,000
- Teagasc Livestock safety training workshop €12,435
- Carlow Co Council Farmer Resilience Programme €12,300
- Laura Tully Fit Farmers €12,300
- Kieran O Brien Farmers health and well Being €11,520
- Jacqueline Willis - Horse and Harmony Equine Assisted Learning- for Farmer Wellbeing €11,350
- Muintir Na Tíre Farm Security Walks and Property Branding Events €10,000
- Deirdre Galvin Harvesting health project €7,500
- Castlemaine Family Resource Centre Mid Kerry Farmers & Friends Health, Safety and Wellbeing Project €7,500
- HSE Health & Wellbeing, Integrated Health Area of Dublin North County SunSmart for Farmers: Skin Cancer Prevention and Importance of Early Diagnosis €7,201
- Mark Twohig A Place to Pause: Farm-Based Mental Health and Reflection €6,720
- Torc Community & Family Resource Centre CLG Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses €6,562
- IRD Duhallow Preparing For Tomorrow €6,230
- Dublin upland and North County Groups Farms Harmony €5,898
- Festina Lente Enterprises Ltd A Nature Based Approach to Improving Farmers Well-being and Resilience €5,312
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae TD, announced the funding on July 2.
Minister Heydon said: "There was an excellent response to the call, with 40 projects selected for funding of €1.68 million. I am confident that these projects will make an important contribution to promoting farmer safety, health and wellbeing not only among farmers, farming families, farm workers and agricultural contractors who engage directly with the projects.”
Speaking at Teagasc Moorepark Dairy Open Day, Minister Healy-Rae said: “I am pleased with the broad range of approaches the projects employ to support farmers, farming families, farm workers and agricultural contractors, and in particular the positive response to the call for the provision of health and wellbeing checks, tractor driving awareness training for children over 14 years of age and chainsaw training. The projects also highlight to the wider farming community how the challenges around farm safety, health and wellbeing that they face can be tackled."
The award of funding to Embrace FARM and other recipients follows an open call earlier in 2025 for proposals for farm projects aimed at enhancing safety, health and wellbeing in agrculture.