Awards are holding out for a rural hero

The search is now on for a hero of Scotland’s rural life.

Each year the Scottish Rural Awards honours someone or a group which has made a huge difference to others.

The Rural Hero category aims to highlight rural Scotland’s unsung heroes and community champions. This individual will have worked for the greater benefit of others, putting others first and continually striving to make their local area a better place for everyone.

Nominations may be made in this category by a friend, colleague, family member or anyone except the Rural Hero themselves.

The judging panel will ask: What makes this individual remarkable? What is the impact of this individual on others? Specifically, why should the term ‘hero’ be applied to this individual?

At the 2018 Scottish Rural Awards, the title wasn’t bestowed upon an individual, but a campaign. The Rural Hero honour was given to the Ingliston-based Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC).

https://youtu.be/JFWvstB2jgs

They took home the Rural Hero award for their inspiring Are Ewe Okay? campaign.

Are Ewe Okay? promotes mental well-being amongst young farmers and the judges felt it was an ‘important’ and ‘exceptional’ campaign that clearly offers value to a wide community.

The campaign notes that one in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health at some point in their life.
Everyone has mental health and everyone’s mental health is different as well as being constantly changing, depending on many different aspects.

Given that SAYFC members are aged between 14 and 30 years there are so many life events going on in this period that can influence how you feel.

This is why SAYFC has chosen to encourage the conversation and break the stigma surrounding mental wellbeing. It’s about looking out for each other, as easy as asking ‘are “ewe” okay?’ And being there to listen.

The aim is to specifically target the audience of young people living in Scotland’s rural communities through raising awareness of poor mental health triggers and causes, how to recognise the signs and how to seek help if a young farmer or others are suffering.

To nominate a Rural Hero, click HERE.