A GROUP from Chagford has raised £7,500 to support training and awareness in mental health first aid and suicide prevention for communities across Dartmoor.

The ‘WTF?! Witheridge To Frenchbeer’ fund-raiser was created in memory of Dartmoor farmer Mike Malseed, who sadly took his own life in November 2021 following an acute mental health crisis.

Working with Mike’s family, his good friends Sue Parrott and Alison (Boots) Bright came up with the idea of following his life journey from Witheridge, where he was born, to Frenchbeer Farm, where he lived for more than 35 years. They set out to raise £5000 through a fundraising weekend involving walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders following a route from Witheridge to Frenchbeer, with a reception in Chagford at the end.

‘After Mike died, we tried to think what might have helped at the time, and what could benefit others facing a similar crisis,’ said Sue. ‘We realised that many of us had attended a physical first aid course, but we didn’t know how to deal with a life-threatening mental health crisis. So we decided to address this gap by providing mental health first aid training, which will not only increase awareness of the warning signs, but also give people more confidence to intervene.’

The money will go to the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project (DHFP), Farming Community Network (FCN) and Chagford Recreational Trust to pay for face-to-face courses aiming to widen awareness of the warning signs of mental ill health and how to signpost people to sources of further support. The courses will be held at Chagford Recreational Trust Clubhouse, with the first course being held May 2.

The scheme will also increase opportunities for farmers to connect with each other through a network of informal farmers’ breakfasts.