The event was hosted by The Ernest Cook Trust at Low Beckside Farm, Mungrisdale and was open to all county farmers and farm workers. Topics covered included lone working, livestock handling, licence legislation, ATV safety, fire safety and essential first aid. The main message was about keeping people mentally and physically healthy and keeping them safe on farm.
Key speakers included Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Penrith Mountain Rescue, Cumbria Rural Crime team and farming charity RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution). Feed, machinery and agricultural supplier Carrs Billington Penrith spoke about ATV maintenance, and using the right protective equipment while Paragon Veterinary Farm Services covered safe livestock handling.
The event was held as part of Farm Safety Week (21-25 July 2025) organised by Yellow Wellies to raise awareness about the attitudes and behaviours to farm safety and poor mental health.
'Vital' events
NFU County Adviser Catherine Stokes, who helped organise the event, said: 鈥淥ne accident on farm is one too many so hosting events like these remains vital to try and help prevent accidents before they can happen and most importantly ensuring farmers think about the risks they take every day in their work, and the actions they can take to protect themselves from injury.
鈥淚t was great to work with the Cumbria Farmer Network and to see so many people attending.
鈥淚 hope everyone will pick up some vital health and safety advice to take back with them to their farms.鈥�
鈥淚 would encourage every farmer to attend an event such as this as there is always more to learn and understand about this industry.鈥�
NFU Cumbria County Chair John Longmire
NFU Cumbria County Chair John Longmire said: 鈥淔arm safety is essential to the resilience and sustainability of the agricultural workforce.
鈥淓vents such as this are vital for bringing the farming community together to share best practice and improve the culture of safety on farm.
鈥淚f those attending took away and implemented even one or two things learnt from this event and shared them with others in the farming community it can make such a difference to improving the statistics that have marred farm safety for too long.
鈥淚 would encourage every farmer to attend an event such as this as there is always more to learn and understand about this industry.鈥�
Farmer Network Managing Director Adam Day who also attended the event, said: 鈥淚 was particularly pleased to see a wide range of ages and in some cases whole families attending. Farm health and safety is inter-generational.聽
鈥淲e were grateful to the Defra Welfare Fund for helping us to support this event, encouraging farmers to talk together as well as listen. I do hope we can do this again.鈥�
