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NFU egg-and-spoon relay raises £5,000 for mental health charity Yana

Philip Case 12 May 2022
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The Joice family hosted the race © NFUThe Joice family hosted the race © NFU

NFU members have raised thousands of pounds for rural mental health charity Yana by staging a long-distance egg-and-spoon relay in memory of a much-loved farmer.

Thirty farmers helped carry an egg and spoon 130 miles, starting on 5 May at the Joice family farm in South Raynham and finishing at the Pig and Poultry Fair at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, on Tuesday 10 May.

NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw, a keen runner, took the first leg on day two.

So far, their efforts have raised more than £5,000, with donations still being accepted at justgiving.com.

See also: Mental Health Awareness Week tackles loneliness in farming

NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw

NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw (centre) with other runners from the event © NFU

The event took place during Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May) in memory of inspirational Norfolk poultry producer Patrick Joice, a former NFU Poultry Board member and Poultry Industry Programme chair.

Patrick suffered from depression after he was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the salivary duct, which claimed his life in September 2019 at the age of 46.

Throughout his illness he was committed to increasing awareness around mental health – as well as raising £53,000 for Yana, which provides mental health support in East Anglia and Worcestershire for farming communities.

‘Naked Farmer’ support

With help from his wife Zanna, his fundraising activities included hosting a “Naked farmer” cricket day, inspired by the Australian Naked Farmer Facebook page, where Patrick first shared his story.

The website encourages farmers to post naked pictures of themselves and discuss their problems, a nod to the reality that it is easier to take your clothes off than talk about mental health.

Zanna and the Joice family completed the final, four-mile leg of the journey to Stoneleigh.

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