Members of The Hawkstone Farmers Choir have completed RABI's one-day mental health training course, helping them build the skills and confidence to have supportive conversations around mental wellbeing.
Choir members gathered at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester to take part in the training.
Explaining why the choir chose to work with RABI, Ruby Gwilliam, Social Media Manager for The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, said:
"RABI was one of the organisations our members felt strongly about supporting from the beginning of our Britain's Got Talent journey."
"Since then, we have developed a positive relationship, with RABI providing resources, expertise and information to help the group communicate responsibly around mental health and raise awareness of the support available."
"Because RABI understands both mental health and the particular pressures of agricultural life, it felt like a very natural choice for them to deliver this training and help us build on what we are already trying to achieve."
Creating space for conversations
Reflecting on how conversations around mental health have become part of the choir's journey, Ruby added:
"When the choir first came together, we had no idea it would become a platform for conversations around mental health. It happened very naturally. Put a room full of farmers together, give them the space to talk and people began opening up about pressures and experiences they had often carried quietly.
"That showed us just how powerful conversation can be."
Why conversations matter in farming
Throughout the day, choir members reflected on some of the reasons conversations around mental health can be particularly important within farming communities.
One member spoke about the culture of carrying on despite difficulties: "Farmers are very strong people that get up every morning and carry on… that's all they know, just crack on and do. And if they are struggling, they need somebody because talking itself can help."
Others reflected on the isolation that can be part of working in farming. One choir member explained: "In most jobs you have people that you work with and colleagues and you automatically talk by the water fountain or over coffee… whereas in farming you're quite often on your own, or you might be in a field with other people in tractors but you're in your own tractor."
They added: "It should be the norm to talk."
Supporting conversations as the choir's profile grows
As The Hawkstone Farmers Choir's profile and public following have grown, members have found that more people are choosing to open up to them about personal challenges, both in person and through social media.
The group recognised the importance of feeling better equipped to respond to these conversations sensitively and appropriately, while understanding when and how to signpost someone towards further support.
Ruby explained: "We are very conscious that the choir is not a crisis service or a replacement for specialist organisations. As more people engage with us around these subjects, we want to make sure our members can have those conversations responsibly and confidently signpost people towards the organisations best equipped to support them."
Suzie Calderbank, Business Development Coordinator at RABI:
"At RABI, supporting farming people through a range of challenges, including mental health and financial pressures, is at the heart of what we do.
"Our mental health training is designed to build practical skills and confidence to recognise when someone may be struggling, respond appropriately and help them find the right support. These are skills that can be useful within farming communities, as well as with family and friends."
The session built on these themes through practical discussion and activities, while also exploring the importance of self-care and looking after personal wellbeing.
Why the training matters
Choir members shared a range of motivations for taking part in the training, from feeling more confident in difficult conversations to better supporting the people around them.
Esther explained: "If somebody were to come to me and say, I am really struggling, I would like to know the right thing to say."
For Tinks, the training was about being better equipped to support people in her own community: "To support friends, family… if they did want to open up, I'd be able to help them a bit more."
Summarising one of the key messages from the session, Linda Shearman, Mental Health Trainer with RABI's specialist mental health training provider, noted: "Just listening is a big thing we can do… it's being honest and encouraging the fact that there are options."
Music, self-care and community
The afternoon session also explored the importance of self-care, with discussion turning naturally to the role music can play in supporting wellbeing and bringing people together.
For The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, music sits at the heart of the group and the community around it, creating opportunities for connection, shared experiences and conversation.
Choir members spoke warmly about the role music plays in their own lives. One simply shared: "I just love going and listening to music," while another reflected on the shared experience of performing: "You hear your family singing your songs… it's lovely when we hear people singing our music for the first time."
These reflections reinforced the sense that, for the choir, music is about more than performance. It creates moments of connection, enjoyment and togetherness, both within the group and with the wider community.
Looking ahead, Ruby added: "Our biggest hope is that every choir member comes away feeling more confident having conversations around mental health, while also understanding the boundaries of our role.
"It is equally important that our members recognise those signs in themselves."
Taking the learning forward
At the end of the session, choir members reflected on what they had taken away from the training and how they might use what they had learned in their own lives and communities.
Choir members said the training had helped them better understand where support is available. One reflected: "We've wanted to know where the support is and there's so much out there that I know now I can access."
The session also prompted reflection on personal wellbeing. One choir member described it as "a good discussion space" that "brings up a lot of emotions and thoughts about things", adding that "it shines a little light on your own mental health. It's useful."
Choir members also recognised the potential value of the training across the wider agricultural sector, with the training open to anyone and RABI-funded places available for eligible farming people. One participant, who works in farm assurance, said: "I will definitely be reporting back that I think we should try and get many of the staff and the assessors on these training days."
There was also strong support for recommending the training to other farming groups. One participant said: "It's an absolute definite yes… this training is just so accessible. And absolutely 100% yes."
