West Midlands festive tractor runs light up farming communities
One initiative took place in Oswestry in Shropshire A festive tractor run has raised nearly GBP3,000 after a weekend in which various such events were held in the West Midlands. Herefordshire's run went through six villages, attracting 89 tractors in "one big convoy", organisers said.
Saturday's event there was arranged by charity We are Farming Minds, which raises awareness of mental health issues in farming communities. Some people "must have spent hundreds of pounds on lights", it said. Emily Stables, from Hereford, who founded the charity along with husband Sam, said after having "only 50" tractors festooned in lights last year, the 2023 event was made "bigger and better".
She added: "There were hundreds of people lining the streets. "They had [things] going on in the village greens, like carol singers, so they made a village event of it, so they could watch tractors going through." Other tractor runs have taken place in Oswestry in Shropshire, and Coventry.
Santa was visible at the Oswestry event After charging Herefordshire participants GBP10 each to enter, and volunteers collected money from crowds in the villages, the occasion raised about GBP3,000 for the cause, Mrs Stables said. Following the journey, a social event to bring farmers together at Sink Green Farm in Hereford was attended by about 400 people.
The charity funds counselling and mental health awareness workshops, with the organisation providing free counselling to anyone in the farming community within a week of getting in touch.
Mrs Stables said farming was "so isolating", with people being on their own for long periods of time. Following Saturday's event, she stated: "[It's about] breaking that stigma, raising that awareness. "Getting them together, it is breaking the isolation with like-minded people who understand the challenges of farming, [getting] them off the farm in a social environment, but [there's] no work involved."
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Send your story ideas to: [email protected][1][2][3]