Rural Support Trusts are a nationwide network that helps rural people and their families during and after extreme weather or environmental events which affect their livelihoods. This includes pastoral farming, forestry, horticulture and other land based activities. As well as this, many of the trusts also provide their services in times of general hardship.

The services that the trusts provide vary depending on funding and focus, but in general they offer:

• Help during and after an adverse weather or environmental event:
  The trusts work with local Civil Defence and can provide information, and assistance during and following an adverse event. For example assistance may include coordinating rescue and movement of stock, financial support, labour, technical information, or other needs depending on the events scale and severity.
• Support during personal, and/or financial difficulties:
  The trusts can help rural people by either providing or facilitating referral to professional counselling, financial advice, and farm management expertise. Help can also include mentors or colleagues from rural backgrounds to talk to, facilitation of financial assistance, Work and Income support, and labour assistance.

Please refer to www.rural-support.org.nz for the services your local Rural Support Trust provides.

Coping with Stress on the Farm?

If you or someone you know frequently feels frazzled or overwhelmed, you can help protect yourself and others from the stresses farm life throws at you by learning how to recognise the symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce it. This Rural Stress Pamphlet identifies a number of causes of stress and its symptoms. It also provides some practical ways to manage it, along with a list of key contacts for further information and support.

Rural Support Trust contact list as at September 2010

Please call 0800 787 254 (0800 Rural Help) to directly contact your local Rural Support Trusts in the following regions:

• North Island regions:
  Northland including Rodney, Auckland, Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, East Coast, including Hutt Valley, Wellington, and Porirua
• South Island regions:
  West Coast, Mid-Canterbury (Ashburton), South Canterbury, and Southland

Contacts details for the remaining Rural Support Trust regions are as follows:

• Ruapehu/Wanganui 07 893 8547
• Manawatu/Rangitikei/Kapiti 06 329 6860
• Marlborough/Nelson 03 578 9923
• North Canterbury 0800 277 845
• Otago 03 437 1544

Refer to www.rural-support.org.nz for further information and contact details for Rural Support Trusts.