Farmsafe Australia Partners with Feel the Magic to Support Grieving Families in Rural and Regional Australia

Farmsafe Australia is proud to announce an incredibly important partnership with Feel the Magic, an Australian charity providing early intervention grief education programs for kids aged 7 to 17, who are experiencing pain and isolation due to the death of a parent, guardian, or sibling.

Farmsafe Australia is committed to reducing the incidence of fatality on Australian farms, whether through workplace injury or due to suicide. Prevention has long been the main objective of the organisation, however, when tragedy does occur, programs need to be in place to ensure no family is left to grieve alone.

“All grieving families deserve support, regardless of where they live,” Felicity Richards, Chair of Farmsafe Australia, said. “That’s why Farmsafe Australia supports the work of Feel the Magic, as part of an ongoing focus on child safety and wellbeing in the farming community. As we work towards making farms safer places to live and work, we acknowledge that there is a lack of support for farming families when they are struggling with grief.”

Sadly, 1 in 20 Aussie kids experience the death of a parent before they turn 18. With agriculture continually ranking as one of the most dangerous industries in Australia, and the incidence of suicide in rural and regional Australia being double that of urban populations, farming families are overrepresented in these numbers. This partnership is about making sure that no child faces grief alone, with farming families having access to both virtual and face-to-face programs. Feel the Magic’s offerings include a Healthy Grieving Camp, focused specifically on dealing with suicide and Camp Magic, where children learn coping skills for managing grief, and are able to connect with other kids who are navigating through grief and loss. These camps are supplemented by a range of online resources.

Adam Blatch, CEO of Feel the Magic, has seen first-hand the difference that each camp makes in the lives of the participants. “Our evidence-driven camps, resources and strategies are developed by clinical psychologists and delivered by trained mental health experts. Through our programs, we give kids the tools, coping strategies and community they need to move forward with their grief in a healthy way.” Mr Blatch said. “They’ll learn vital skills for managing their grief in healthy ways and join a community of kids that understand what they’re going though.”

“Our programs are free for participants because of the incredible generosity of our partners. We are here to ensure that regardless of a family’s location, situation or financial background, they find the support they need to work through their grief and a community that they can lean on.”

For more information, please go to Grief Support - Feel the Magic and Farmsafe Australia. If your family, or a family you are aware of, needs support, please reach out to Feel the Magic on 1300 602 465.