In the second episode of the Now We're Talking Farming podcast, Caitriona Crawford, National Manager, The Farming Community Network, Northern Ireland, discusses the partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support which is helping to improve the support available to those living with cancer in farming communities and rural areas.
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00:00Hello and welcome back to the new podcast from Farming Life and Farm Week. Now we're
00:09talking farming. I'm joined by this month's guest, Katrina Crawford from the Farming Community
00:16Network. Katrina, thank you very much for joining us today. No problem at all. Thank
00:20you very much for having us. You're very welcome. And you've been on a podcast before, so you
00:25know what you're doing. You can keep us right. I don't know about that. We'll try. We'll
00:28try. So Katrina, for anyone listening who maybe doesn't know about yourself, can you
00:34tell me a wee bit about your background? Did you grow up on a farm or where did you grow
00:39up? Yeah, so I grew up on the family farm in County Tyrone and still very, very fortunate
00:45that I still live there. Just over the past few years, we were able to build our own house
00:50on the farm. So yes, we are a mixture of upper grassland and hill and we're mainly sheep.
00:57We have a few cattle as well, but mainly sheep. And we're just right within the sparing area
01:02of natural beauty. So it's a lovely part of the world to live in. Gorgeous. And yeah,
01:06I just had a lovely upbringing and on the farm and definitely a huge part of my identity.
01:11And I'm very proud to be from a farming family here in Northern Ireland.
01:15And tell me a bit about the Farming Community Network then and how long has it been in Northern
01:21Ireland? Tell me all that. Yeah, so the Farming Community Network has been in Northern Ireland
01:26really, I suppose from the start of this project, which was launched last year at Balmoral. So
01:31our project in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support is the reason why the Farming Community
01:35Network is here now in Northern Ireland. And my first week in the job is last year at Balmoral,
01:40so it was a great first week on the job. But yeah, so really it's been, we're moving into
01:46the second year of the project now. So it's been, I suppose, active really for this past year.
01:51And tell me a bit then about your role and how you actually find yourself within that role.
01:56Okay. Yeah. So it was a bit of a funny one. I was actually off maternity leave and a friend of mine
02:03shared this job opportunity on her Facebook page. So she works for Macmillan and straight away,
02:08it just struck a chord with me because I suppose recently I had a bit of an experience with my own
02:14father having a bit of poor health. And I very much was advocate for him and the voice for him,
02:20asking questions for tests and bringing him to appointments and things like that.
02:24So I definitely felt there was a huge need there for more awareness within kind of the farming rural
02:29community. And people just needed a little bit more knowledge so they could advocate for themselves
02:34a bit better. So when I seen the job advertised, it was the best of Beauforts really, because as I said,
02:39I'm from the farming family, but also I am actually a therapeutic radiographer by background. So I'm
02:45currently on as a common from the Western Trust where I worked in the radiotherapy department.
02:50So I would have treated a lot of patients from a rural background who have been undergoing radiotherapy
02:55as part of the cancer treatment. So it really was a really good fit. So yes, I applied for the job
03:00and lo and behold, I'm here today and I'm really enjoying it.
03:03And you're the national manager then in Northern Ireland for the SCN. And is there a big team of
03:08people working here? Or are you kind of a small team?
03:11We're a very small team. So there's myself and my wonderful colleague, George, who's part time,
03:17and that's the Northern Ireland team. But as I said, it's a UK white project. So my SCN colleagues
03:23are from all over the UK. And we work very closely together. So we meet every week. And although we're
03:28all from different backgrounds and different parts of the UK, we all have that common, I suppose,
03:33passion for the project, but also we're all from a farming background or a rural background,
03:37which is so, so important. But yes, it's a small team here in Northern Ireland and we're making,
03:41we're making progress. It is a short project as well, but we are, we're having huge, huge successes
03:48here in Northern Ireland with the project. And what about the help and support then that the
03:54charity can provide to farmers? But what really does it do? What does it cover? What does it offer?
03:59Well, in England and Wales, our SCN charity is very much like our local farm support charity
04:04here in Northern Ireland, rural support. So it is a volunteer led charity with over 600 volunteers
04:10that help man a helpline. They have volunteer groups and they have, they do casework as well.
04:17And that's very much in England and Wales. In terms of the Pharmacomia Network's role here in Northern
04:21Ireland, it really is this project with Macmillan Cancer Support. So what we are, we are really kind of
04:27that link between the rural community, the farmer community and Macmillan Cancer Support and not
04:33only just Macmillan, but other cancer charities as well that we can sign those to. So really, that's
04:39what we're doing at the minute here in Northern Ireland. And tell me a bit about the partnership
04:46with Macmillan. What does that mean for our farmers here? What does that offer them?
04:51Yeah. So really this project, I suppose, started off as an idea in a county in England where they
04:59found that farmers were very unlikely to reach out for support from Macmillan, but also it's notorious
05:05as well knowing that farmers often present quite late with a diagnosis. I think it's just that stoic
05:12nature. And then Macmillan approached SCN to take on this project, but actually it grew from there and
05:19it moved to England and Wales wide, Scotland, Northern Ireland. So that's kind of where it all
05:25came from. And I suppose then in terms of what we are doing, we're really trying to get out there
05:30with two main aims, raising awareness of cancer among the farming and rural community, but also raising
05:34awareness of the support services available. And as I mentioned before, that's very much the cancer
05:41support, but also, and particularly for the farming community, it's also raising awareness of the support
05:45of other support charities that go hand in hand with the cancer diagnosis. So the likes of rural support.
05:51And, you know, say for example, succession planning, the cancer diagnosis comes under a family,
05:56is there a succession plan in place? Or for example, Roseport also has a really incredible
06:01counselling service, which is called the Life Beyond service. So it's actually making links with
06:07those other organisations, the best support farmers. So we're working with a range of different
06:11organisations to really help us get the message out there. Another organisation, another example,
06:16really, is we are working alongside the farm families health checks, which is an incredible
06:21service here in Northern Ireland. So what we are doing, we want to provide them with training on
06:25Macmillan. So if they ever come across a farmer in their line of work that has been impacted by cancer,
06:31and maybe isn't quite sure if Macmillan or the support available, that they can do that link up.
06:36So really what we are doing, we are working with those partners and those trusted voices in the rural
06:40community. And on the flip side of that as well, we are going out ourselves and doing hands-on
06:45awareness sessions, which I find probably the most rewarding part of the job. Because,
06:51for example, we done an awareness session with the Farmers Choir in Northern Ireland there just
06:56a few weeks ago, and we were able to go along and do an awareness session. And then after, when it opens
07:01to the Q&A session, people then get up and share their experiences and their advice. So where else do you
07:07create that environment or that kind of space for people to share that? So that's kind of what
07:13we're doing at the minute. And we also have our Knuckle in the Bug campaign as well. So we have our
07:19posters, we have, as I said, our awareness sessions or training sessions. So we do have a wide range of
07:24ways that people can support the project and what we're delivering here in Northern Ireland.
07:27It's hard to find a family out there who hasn't been impacted in some way by cancer of whatever variety
07:35there is. Have you noticed an increase in farmers coming forward and seeking help from the Farm
07:44Community Network? So in terms of the Farm Community Network as a whole, in Indian Wales we receive
07:51about 100 to 150 calls per month. And we support around 350 ongoing cases each month through local
07:59volunteers. Now we haven't seen a significant increase in cases just yet. However, the situations
08:05are becoming increasingly complex, especially with the current, what would you say, policy changes,
08:12inheritance tax, things like that. So we haven't just seen it just yet. But I personally, being out
08:18with the project, I do find there's a new kind of area of concern in terms of inheritance tax and
08:25succession planning in particular, whenever we do talk about cancer because it is that not gone effect
08:31on a family farm. Yeah. And we've already sort of touched on this, but do you find that the farming
08:38community in particular are more sort of reluctant to reach out for help or more, not necessarily
08:44reluctant, they're just out there all day working from morning to night. There's always something to
08:47be done. They don't have the time to prioritize their health. That is a fair assessment. Absolutely.
08:55And I suppose really going back then to my professional background as a radiographer, that's
08:59something we would have seen time and time again with patients. You know, patients as a radiotherapy
09:05service, we actually have an emergency service. So that's where people come in through any and they
09:10need treatment within 24 hours. So that's really where we would have seen, I would have experienced
09:16quite a few farming patients come through that. And again, it is putting it, putting off, getting
09:21checked out, but also a lot of the time as well, maybe signs of symptoms of cancer can be, I suppose,
09:27what would you say, misplaced as kind of part of the job, you know, wear and tear, that sort of thing.
09:33Aches, pains, tiredness. Yeah, exactly. So I've actually, I've actually came across a few even cases
09:38in this role now where that is the case, you know, I spoke to a farmer in Quinta Fermanagh who
09:43actually stepped down from the farm because he was really struggling with fatigue that he put
09:47down to old age, but actually turned out he had a kidney cancer. And then he told me, you know,
09:52if he hadn't got diagnosed earlier and was aware of that and came, he knew at the end of his treatment
09:58that he would be actually fit for the farm and he wouldn't have stepped back so soon. But he was still,
10:02still working away on the farm, even though it was passed on at that stage. But I suppose as well,
10:09with this project, we do work closely with other healthcare professionals and that could be anyone
10:16from doctors, nurses, I have spoken to other colleagues as well. And it's just a common kind
10:22of occurrence or a common knowledge and understanding that farmers do 10% later. And anyone who we do talk
10:30about the project too, especially George. So George, the program officer, he's actually undergoing cancer
10:35treatment at the minute. And he was telling his consultant about what he was doing now on the
10:39project. And he, the consultant was just saying, absolutely, there's such a need for it because
10:43in his career, he's also seeing the farmers presenting it. And so we are really trying to change
10:48that. We're really trying to change that. And I suppose really, it's not just in terms of getting
10:55into the doctors and getting diagnosed with cancer and getting the treatment. It's actually
11:00other support around it as well. So again, working very closely with Macmillan here, in terms of the
11:06other services and support that they provide, you know, the benefits and welfare service here in
11:11Aldana, which is incredible. And they do say like, they find that farmers are really hard to reach.
11:17And there's a lot of benefits and entitlements that they would be entitled to, but they're not uptaken
11:22on them because they don't want to, again, it's that stoic nature, you know, they don't want to reach out
11:26for help and support. So we are really trying to change that. And I mean, cancer affects people of
11:31all ages, I mean, from the very young to the very old. Is there a difference in generations?
11:37Or do I find that with farmers actually, our young farmers as well are just the same?
11:42Well, we're hoping, so that's actually a very interesting question, because we are hoping also,
11:47when we talk about farmers, I think, stereotypically, you go to the older male farmer,
11:52where actually farming isn't that anymore. There's younger generations, really diverse
11:58group of people involved in farming and it's women in farming as well. And they can be just as stoic
12:04as their husbands or partners or the male farmers. So we are really trying to target everybody.
12:09But we actually do work quite closely with the likes of Capri. So we've done a lot of sessions with
12:15their students and with their wellbeing weeks and things like that. And we're hoping to work with
12:21young farmers as well over the remainder of the project. But sometimes you see the younger
12:27generation, they're like, oh, it doesn't really apply to me. And that is not the case, unfortunately.
12:33Unfortunately, the incidence of younger people getting cancer is growing and it can affect anybody
12:39of any age, any walk of life. It really does not discriminate cancer. So we are trying to target
12:45everybody within that farming and agricultural industry.
12:47It's planting that seed as well, though, if you're speaking to them at that point, then down the line,
12:52it'll be in the back of their mind, you know, I remember hearing about this or even with somebody
12:56in the family, if it is a dad or a grandfather, an uncle, a cousin, whoever it might be, that they're
13:01maybe just picking up on that wee thing and can encourage them to go and get it seen to you and to
13:05go and speak to a doctor. And that's, that's again, through my own experience with my own father,
13:09like I'm the one bringing him to the doctors, you're bringing him, you know, when times are bad,
13:12or I'm telling him to get in and get on the phone to the GP and even with my mom as well sometimes.
13:18But actually, and I suppose it's usually that younger generation that is coming along with
13:24grandparents, uncles, neighbors, you know, employers even to their appointments that are
13:28asking questions and know a bit more and are maybe a wee bit more digital savvy to get on and do a bit of
13:34research. So it is so important to get to empower the younger generation as well, not just for themselves,
13:39but anyone that they see around them and they are in contact with. And what can we do to encourage,
13:45say the older generation to reach? I don't know we've spoke a bit there about encouraging the
13:48younger generation, but as well as maybe the younger people speaking to them, what else can we be doing
13:53to encourage them to get help? So really, I suppose, it's all about awareness. So it's all about
14:00really getting awareness out there and empowering people. So when I do, when myself and George do our
14:06sessions, quite often they say, you know, our campaigners nipping in the bud and get your GP
14:10and quite often people say, but sure, I can't get in to see my GP or it doesn't sit me around
14:15at half eight in the morning or, you know, I can't just down to this on the farm and get in for the
14:19first appointment they get me. So it is challenging and there is challenges out there and they do apply
14:24to rural communities and urban communities in terms of the pressures with GP services at the minute.
14:30So what we are doing is really trying to empower people to say, look, take your signs of symptoms
14:34carries one with you. If you do think something that's ongoing, unusual or unexplained for you,
14:40be aware of it and use your voice and say to your GP receptionist, look, I'm really concerned about
14:45this. I do feel like I need to see. But also it's encouraging as well in terms of screening programs.
14:52So encouraging people to go to screening programs, partake in screening, be aware of their screening
14:55programs and the importance of it, but also different changes they can do. So for example,
14:59putting on sun cream, like working in the good weather, that's something I have to say. Now,
15:04my own father has got better at recently or he would be very good in out wearing the sun hat,
15:09but definitely. So it's just subtle changes like that. And it's really just about giving people
15:15information. And I suppose really, I do find with our awareness sessions, we do find that there's huge,
15:21huge kind of good work happening with them. And again, as I say, it's that sharing of experiences.
15:27So we had an awareness session and we were talking and at the end then a vet stood up and said,
15:33you know, he thought he was doing great all these years out in farms and wearing a baseball cap,
15:37but actually now he's getting skin cancers removed from the tops of his ears and the back of his neck
15:41that wasn't protected. And everybody in that room went away that day thinking, okay,
15:46I need to actually think about the type of hat I'm wearing. So it's those conversations. And also,
15:51we do have, as I said before, we have our Nippet in the Bud campaign, our posters,
15:55so we are trying to get them out everywhere in the community. We are already hearing stories of
16:00people that have seen these posters and are actually asking their doctors a few more questions.
16:04And we've definitely, we've confirmed cancer diagnosis from that now, just from that awareness
16:09and just from seeing a poster where you might not traditionally see it.
16:12And tell me a bit more about that Nippet in the Bud campaign, then tell me a bit background on it.
16:18Yeah, well, I suppose Nippet in the Bud really, it's really just a common,
16:23I suppose, phrase that we're all so familiar with. It's just make, taking action and getting it sorted.
16:27So that's what we're really trying to push. And as we talked upon before, with farmers,
16:32they are very stoic in nature and they're very likely to put things off. So we're really just
16:36trying to say that, you know, Nippet in the Bud, you know, your health is so important
16:41and that applies to so much. It applies to obviously cancer awareness and getting a cancer
16:45diagnosis, but it also applies to maybe financial pressures with cancer. Reach out to Macmillan
16:49and see what you're entitled to. It applies to maybe, maybe you're a family member of someone
16:54who's undergoing cancer treatment and you're actually starting to suffer with your mental health,
16:58the anxiety and worry of supporting someone through it. So Macmillan's not just for the patient,
17:03it's for everyone around that patient, so family, friends, work colleagues. So it's really about
17:07nipping anything in the bud, really. But definitely, if you notice the sign or something,
17:11get to your GP. It's so, so important. Yeah. And what can people expect when they would get in
17:18touch with the charity? What will happen when they get in touch? Yeah, well, I suppose then with our
17:23charity, as I said, we have a really good connection with rural support here. So if anybody rings FCN
17:30looking for that Taylor Farm support, then they are referred on to rural support here in Northern Ireland.
17:36And likewise, in Scotland, they're referred on to the local support charity as well.
17:41But in terms of anybody who wants to get in touch with the charity to contact myself or George about
17:46organising an awareness session, then please feel free to do so. They can contact ourselves directly,
17:52but if they do want to pick up the phone and ring the charity, then they can be signposted on to us.
17:56Yeah. And what have you found to be the biggest concern amongst farmers, maybe reaching out to the
18:02charity? What is the thing that they seem to be contacting you about?
18:07Well, I suppose really with my role in Northern Ireland, we're not really having as many people
18:11contact us in terms of support farming-wise at the minute. But I suppose really when it comes to,
18:18when we do our awareness talks, the kind of the main questions are around succession planning
18:24and around finances as well, especially with the cancer diagnosis. For example, I have experienced
18:31many times farmers that actually will delay their radiotherapy because of lemon season. And I, you
18:37know, I would have colleagues that just can't comprehend that because, you know, they might not
18:41have that understanding and, you know, radiotherapy is so important in their cancer treatment, but
18:45actually that's their livelihoods like that. And they might not have anyone else to step in and do
18:49that, you know. So it's really just, I suppose, about the understanding in terms of we're from
18:56farming families, we're from a rural background ourselves, and we really kind of have that extra
19:01understanding for those who are impacted by cancer in our farming communities. It's that awareness with
19:05everyone else then to understand where our farming community are coming from. As you say, we can't just
19:11drop all in the midst of lamb and just crab calving, yeah, silage to be cut, whatever's happening that
19:18happens at that specific time. That's it. You have to be there to do it. And there's maybe not somebody
19:22there to step in. Absolutely. And that's another arm of the project as well, that we are trying to
19:29obviously influence and raise awareness in terms of like the actual healthcare professionals as well
19:35that might not have that understanding. So I will also do presentations to healthcare staff as well
19:42that are interested in knowing a wee bit more. And also there's, I was at the Macmillan Professionals
19:47Conference in Northern Ireland a few months ago, and there were so many people approached me in
19:53terms of what more they can do and what more services that they can do to provide to support
19:57for their farmers. And a lot of the time I'm like, well, have you heard of rural support? Have you heard
20:01about farm family health checks? Have you heard about all these little organisations? They're like, no.
20:04And I was like, right, we need to do something here. So there is work in the pipeline to do
20:09maybe like a webinar or facilitate workshops, so we can really bridge those, I suppose, gaps in
20:14and understanding and care really. What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of your room?
20:22That's a really good question. I have to say definitely the awareness sessions because where
20:27else would you have the opportunity to create a space for people to stand up and share their stories?
20:33And there's no obligation on anyone to do that, but it's empowering people to get up and share their
20:37stories. And even, for example, after our awareness session, I'd done our awareness session recently
20:42in a local Gilead club. And afterwards, there were three different people come up to me,
20:48and I was able to refer them directly into other services. So one of them was a breast screening service,
20:52the other one was a skin detection service, and the last one was actually for her friend,
20:57who was diagnosed with cancer, and she just did not understand the amount of support that Macmillan can
21:02provide. And it's not just about getting support through Macmillan, it's all those other incredible
21:07charities across Northern Ireland that Macmillan can signpost to. Macmillan have a really good
21:12working relationship with loads of different charities, and it's not about Macmillan providing
21:16you the support, it's about Macmillan helping to facilitate you get the support that you need.
21:20Signposting you to all those other things. And connecting, absolutely. And it's not just,
21:25it's not just, as I said before, for the patient, it's for everybody around the patient as well,
21:30that might need that support. And you're saying there about people sharing their stories as well,
21:34and that only will encourage other people to seek help or to find out if that Macmillan is something
21:41more. Absolutely. And it's a huge part of the project as well. So we have a lot of different
21:47case studies and storytellers that are sharing their stories so that you can find that all online on
21:52our website and also on our socials. And for example, we've had a gentleman tell his prostate
21:58cancer experience. We've had a farmer's wife tell her experience of having breast cancer.
22:03You know, we have an agronomist telling his story of having head and neck cancer. And it's that key
22:08message. Get it, catch, nip it in the bud, catch it early, get through your treatment. And you know,
22:14that's so, so important. And I suppose as well, sometimes people think cancer and they think the
22:21worst and you go to the worst place, which is normal. You know, I've lost five uncles to cancer.
22:27So it is, it's normal to go there because it's quite often what you hear and you don't often
22:33hear the good stories or the people that are surviving it or the people. And there's a kind of,
22:37I suppose, people are reluctant to talk about that and say that they've survived cancer because
22:42they're always with that fear. But for example, again, referring back to George, our project officer,
22:48our program officer here in Northern Ireland. So he is undergoing cancer. He,
22:51he first was down cancer 17 years ago and he is still, you know, going, he's going to go on chemo
22:57at the minute and he's always telling his story and the impact of his story alone is so, so important.
23:02And then you find then when George tells his story, people will start telling their story and
23:07and that's where the ripple effect really happened.
23:09Yeah. And, um, we were talking about the different screening services and things,
23:14we know of like the breast cancer, the big bus, we all know about it. Um, what other sort of
23:19screening services are there out there for people? So it's actually really funny that you say that,
23:23we all know about it, but actually what I find in my awareness sessions with the rural communities,
23:29you know, in the lakes of Fermanagh, you know, to Rome, like different areas that I've been so far.
23:34And I mentioned the breast screening service that people are eligible from 40 and above with a big bus.
23:39And the thesis, like the eyes that I get and, you know, people come to me, I didn't know that,
23:43I wasn't aware of that. And already that's people that can start getting into that.
23:48Yes, they can be there, haven't they? And get early detection and nip it in the buds.
23:51But I suppose then the other thing as well is the skin detection service, which is really,
23:55I suppose, really predominant in, I suppose, farming and rural industries, working outdoors a lot.
24:02Um, and I think only recently there is a better awareness of wearing your SPF and your summer
24:07protection, not even just on a sunny day. All year round you have to have your SPF on.
24:11Yes, absolutely. So, um, we're, and it's signposting into that. So as I said as well,
24:17there was a lady who was approached me after a session said, look, my mother's been through cancer,
24:22but now I'm really concerned about a lesion she has on her leg, but she doesn't want to, you know,
24:26go on for that treatment, traveling all those days actually really took it out for her. And she's really
24:30reluctant to go through the game. And you know, that is the reality for those rural communities.
24:34You know, I would have people choosing between a chance of a treatment or actually, no, I can't
24:40face that journey every day down the road for treatment, maybe two hours. And like, that's the
24:45reality of being from a rural community. But I was able then to say, well, actually there's
24:49skin cancer detection service where you can actually take a photo on the first sentence
24:53and send it. And then they can advise you, okay, actually, that's nothing to worry about,
24:57or we can come in. And then you have your general population ones as well. So you have your breast
25:01screening rollout from 50 upwards, and then you have your bile screening one and your cervical
25:07cancer screening as well. And now something that has been raised with me quite a lot in different
25:12farming groups as well is actually where is the screening service for men. And there is work going
25:17on, constant research going on into prostate cancer screening. Yes. So hopefully we will see
25:22developments there down the line and also lung cancer screening as well. So with continuous research
25:27and different, I suppose, ongoing need for the service, hopefully we'll see progress down the line.
25:34Yes, there's more need for the service. It should hopefully be there then that people can access it.
25:39And as you said, there's rural communities and they're having to travel. I mean, are they having to travel
25:43with likes Belfast too? Well, I suppose when you look at the cancer strategy here in Northern Ireland,
25:49because the two, I suppose, would you say, main cancer centres are Belfast and area. And that's
25:57because of the wider services they provide in terms of radiotherapy and Belfast is the same. So you would
26:02find a lot of people travelling significant distances. And even as far back as I was a student, I met
26:10a friend that I knew through my part-time job at home and he was undergoing cancer treatment at the
26:15time. And I bumped into him just one morning and he just, he seemed really depleted. And I just,
26:19I had time that morning for once. I wasn't rushing into him on my last legs. So I was able to sit down
26:25and chat to him and he was really considering. He was about to go and tell his consultant that he was
26:29stopping the treatment because he was staying up at the city hospital and he was so isolated and alone.
26:33He was staying up Monday to Friday and he was going into the hospital for his treatment,
26:37maybe an hour every day. And after that, he had all this time to spend in a big city by himself,
26:42you know, and it was hugely isolating for him. So that is the reality, unfortunately, for rural
26:46patients. Now with the opening of the Northwest Cancer Centre, hopefully that has changed and that
26:52has improved, but you're still going to have your patients that can't just hop in their own private
26:57transport and get into hospital. They're waiting on volunteer drivers for a hospital-advited transport,
27:03you know, and if you think about, you know, for example, hospital-advited transport for a farmer,
27:08say for the likes of, say for manna, and they are waiting on an allocated time slot of maybe two
27:14hours in the morning, what do they do? Like, do they leave the feeding until they get back, you know?
27:18I know. And then they're waiting and they're going and then there's other people being dropped off on
27:21the way back and they might not get back to, you know, they might be scheduled to be back at six,
27:25but they might not be back to eight. Do they go out there and do the feeding? You know,
27:28are they fit to do the feeding after a long day? It's all those kind of complex and unique challenges
27:34that farmers face in particular, but also apply to our rural communities too. Yeah.
27:40What do you enjoy most, would you say, about working in, well, the agriculture industry or
27:45with rural communities? Yes. Well, actually, just last night, I am, I'm very much about LinkedIn now.
27:52I love having LinkedIn as your platform. I'm very, very passionate about it. But just last night,
27:57I actually done a post on LinkedIn. So I have always been very passionate. So I have two young
28:01children and I've always been very passionate about raising them on the farm. Like we live on
28:05the farm and getting them out and showing them the animals and up at lambing and things like that.
28:09I'm very, very passionate about that and letting them know where their food comes from. Yes.
28:12I had friends up, um, all years ago and they were there the day that our lambs were going after
28:18marriage and they couldn't understand it and why. And they were literally very physically upset at
28:22this happening. I was like, well, where do you think your food comes from? So I'm very passionate with that.
28:26And now that I have kind of jumped into the agri sector, I suppose, um, it's just all the different
28:32learning opportunities and development that I have going back, I suppose, to my farming roots.
28:36Um, it's really, really rewarding, you know, like we would go along to conferences and different
28:42events and it's just so, so rewarding getting to learn more about it. And again, I suppose,
28:47really instilling my appreciation for the industry and the way it's so important.
28:51Yeah. And it's growing up on the farm and living on the farm now, and you're just connecting with
28:55like-minded people all the time as well. And it's easy for you to convey what you're trying to do.
29:01I have to say, I do have imposter syndrome. I get events sometimes and I'm like, how am I here? You
29:05know, coming from a healthcare background into this, into this sector. But yeah, as you say,
29:10and it's just as well, and my job, as soon as I say to a group of farmers or a group of the rural
29:15community, um, as soon as I say, you know, I'm from a farm, but they completely are like,
29:20oh, you understand. You're not just talking, you know, you're talking from experience and
29:25understanding as well. So it's not, it's really, really rewarding. And then I suppose another
29:29part of this project too, we're actually trying to raise awareness within migrant workers in the
29:33agri-food sector here in Northern Ireland as well. So it's getting to work with companies and
29:37businesses as well that employ such a huge population of migrant workers, um, that are so crucial for
29:43the agri-food sector here in Northern Ireland. So yeah, it's, it's really rewarding.
29:48And, um, if you were to sum up our farmers here in Northern Ireland in three words,
29:54what would those three words be? Stoic would be the first one, um, hardworking and humble.
30:00Absolutely. Yeah. And, um, I suppose finally, if someone is listening today and they think
30:09some of this is a plan to them, they're thinking, I've been putting something off,
30:14um, what would you say to them? What would you say to encourage them to reach out for help?
30:18Yeah, so absolutely. And this is, again, it's such an important platform to be able to do this, but
30:24ring your doctor if you are concerned, ring your doctor. Ongoing, unusual or unexplained for you.
30:30You know, a lot of the time as well with patients, they would have said, but I wasn't sick or I wasn't
30:35sore and I'm still not sick. You know, to have cancer, you might not necessarily be sick, you
30:39might not be in pain, but if something's not right, you know, and something's ongoing, it's unusual
30:45and unexplained, please pick up the phone, ring your doctor and voice your concerns. You know, use the
30:49word cancer to say, look, I am concerned. This could be cancerous. What can I do here? You know,
30:55um, can I get in for an appointment? And don't be afraid to use your voice and really, you know,
31:00even go on the Macmillan website. If you are, I think, in other signs and symptoms here,
31:04go on the Macmillan website and have a look at the signs and symptoms section and just think
31:08about, you know, the importance, again, of getting in sooner rather than later because, you know,
31:13the chance of curious arrival is much, much higher. It's just different times now. It's not
31:19years and years and years ago. It's everything's changing. Science, technology. Yeah, it can be such
31:24a different outcome now. Oh, absolutely. And that's the thing as well. And I suppose it really
31:29is reflective in Macmillan's strategy. It's supporting people living with cancer because,
31:33you know, people are living with cancer. They're living with cancer for longer. The cures, as you
31:37say, the advances in treatment, um, and the continuous research and development. And that's,
31:43that is, I suppose, the key message we need to get out there. You know, don't be afraid. You know,
31:47years ago when people weren't diagnosed, you know, it might often, not often been talked about
31:52and treatments weren't really as many options then too, but actually things have changed dramatically
31:57since then and are continuously changing. You know, I've been out now in the hospital for
32:01two years, it'll be three years before I go back and I can guarantee you when I go back and there'll
32:05be new developments and new practices. Um, so yeah, it's just so, so important to get in,
32:10get checked early and get a better chance of cure and survival. Yes. And an advocate for yourself and
32:15yes, use your voice. Please use your voice. Absolutely. And how can they get in touch with
32:22the correct channels, be it Macmillan, is it through the website best via phone or what?
32:27Well, actually in Northern Ireland, um, they can, so it depends on what support you need. So the
32:32website is incredible. There's a community, there's an online community there. There's loads of resources
32:36and information there. There's also the Macmillan support line as well, um, that is manned, um, for,
32:43with training professionals with any cancer queries. And if they can't help you, they can
32:47signpost you to where to go, but actually here in Northern Ireland, there's an incredible
32:51information support service, which is located at each trust. Um, so they, again, if you go on the
32:56Macmillan website, you can find them, but actually you can reach out to your local hospital, your local
33:00trust area and find the details for that Macmillan service. And as I said before, they work here on the
33:07ground in Ireland and they work very closely with other charities, other organisations, and they are
33:11constantly keeping up to date with different courses that are available, different services
33:15that are available, maybe different grants. Um, and again, the, or the Macmillan benefits advice
33:20service here in Northern Ireland as well is incredible as in they work across Northern Ireland
33:26and they can really signpost you into the financial support that you need. But there's, there's continuous,
33:30there's a huge actual, um, psychosocial project at the minute in Northern Ireland that's just launched.
33:35And it's really about, again, it's linking into those other collaborative, um, Northern Ireland
33:42projects and services. Brilliant. Um, and what's now for the project? What's coming up next?
33:49So Balmoral is a big one. It's a big one for us all. It's a big one. It is a big one. So as I said,
33:55my first week, um, on the job last year was Balmoral. Um, so this year we're, we're really shaping it,
34:01um, to be really, really big and a huge kind of event because at the minute it is a two year project.
34:07We're really hopeful because of the good work and the stories that we're hearing and the support
34:10that this project is providing, we're really hopeful that it will be extended. But if not,
34:15we really want to, um, have a really huge and successful event at Balmoral. So Balmoral planning
34:20is supposed to be ahead at the minute. Um, but otherwise we are working, um, with other organizations.
34:25So at the minute as well, as I mentioned before, the migrant workers part of the project.
34:30So I am now moving into kind of really focusing on that and trying to deliver and work with other
34:35companies and community groups and organizations, because actually a lot of migrant workers actually
34:40think Macmillan is a paid service. So we need to change that. We really need to help get that
34:43message out there. Um, and after that, I suppose really it shows these in the end. So let's get out
34:49and about and then we're moving into our winter. So we'll have our winter talks and things. So we're
34:52working closely with the Ulster Farmers Union to see if we can get in and do winter talks with them.
34:57And again, we have loads of ideas for collaboration with rural support here in Northern Ireland
35:01and different organizations that are working in the rural community, because we want this
35:05project to have a lasting impact. We want to get awareness of Macmillan to those who will be working
35:11in the agriculture sector across Northern Ireland for much longer than this project will be.
35:15So that's what we're really focusing on moving forward.