Laois founded farmer support group Embrace FARM to give new circle of help
The Laois-founded support network for those bereaved by, or who have survived, farm accidents has today launched a new one-to-one mentoring programme.
The Embrace FARM Encircle programme, which is funded by the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will offer one-to-one supports for individuals and families in the aftermath of a farm accident, suspected suicide, sudden trauma or fatal illness.
Embrace FARM say the Encircle programme will offer supports to farmers and farm families all over the country through a nationwide panel of professional mentors encompassing the full spectrum of legal, financial, Agri and emotional issues that individuals and families contend with in the aftermath of these sudden situations.
Caroline Redmond, Tom Canning, Veronica Morris, Ciaran Austin, Norma Rohan, Aisling Meehan, Eimear Kelly, Catherine Kenneally, Brian Rohan, Angela Hogan, and David Leydon launched the Embrace FARM Encircle programme, funded by the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Since its inception in 2014 by husband and wife team Brian and Norma Rohan, Embrace FARM has supported more than 285 farm families in the aftermath of a serious farm accident or fatality. Having lost Brian’s father Liam, in a traumatic farm accident in 2012, the Rohan’s knew from first-hand experience that there was a growing need for support in this area.
Norma is now the General Manager and Co-Founder of Embrace FARM.
“Our panel of mentors have been carefully selected in order to cater to the many complex issues facing families and individuals who have been impacted in the aftermath of a farm accident or suspected suicide. Once someone contacts us, we will work with them to figure out what they need, and in what order of priority, and from there we will match them with the right professional mentors who can support them where they need help the most, whether it be legal, emotional, financial or general support with the overall operation of a farming business.”
Brian Rohan, Co-Founder of Embrace FARM, recalls: “There were hundreds of people here over the weekend of the funeral and then they stopped calling and we were left to ourselves to run the farm. There was no mention of Dad. People kind of got back to their own lives and forgot about him so we wanted to find a way to remember our loved ones killed in farm accidents. We got calls and emails from other families all over the country, and some of them were in worse states than others with no wills in place, or mortgages on farms and no life cover, and that type of thing. We couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.”
Minister Martin Heydon, Kildare TD and Department of State says: “As we continue to work on improving farm safety and reduce the number of serious and fatal incidents on Irish farms, it is equally important that families affected by sudden traumas are supported. EmbraceFARM has for many years played a crucial role for many Irish farm families in the aftermath of fatal or lifechanging incidents.
(L-R) Tom Canning, ACA, Aisling Meehan, Agricultural Solicitor, Norma Rohan, Embrace FARM, Eimear Kelly, Embrace FARM Counsellor and David Leydon, IFAC launched the new Embrace FARM Encircle programme.
Embrace FARM will continue to offer its peer-to-peer support services in conjunction with the Encircle Programme. Its annual ecumenical Remembrance Service takes place in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois on Sunday 26th June.
According to findings from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) there have been over 200 farm-related deaths in Ireland over the last ten years and many more accidents, with 113 serious accidents recorded in 2021 alone.
If you or anyone near you needs the help Embrace FARM can offer, please go to www.embracefarm.com or call 057-8510555 / 085–7709966.