Rural Wellbeing Fund

Why the Rural Wellbeing Fund is needed

The Rural Wellbeing Fund has been established to back wellbeing programmes that support farmers, growers, fishers, foresters, and rural communities.

It will boost and broaden support for existing wellbeing initiatives or support the delivery of new programmes where gaps exist.

People living in rural communities face unique challenges which can take a toll. They include:

• adverse weather, such as dry conditions and floods
• difficult economic conditions
• isolation
• distance to health services.

There are recognised wellbeing benefits in supporting farmers, especially during tough times. Providing advice, resources, and practical programmes to help farmers get through is important.

How the fund is supporting rural people

The Rural Wellbeing Fund supports organisations to deliver wellbeing initiatives in rural communities.

The Government has committed $4 million over the next 4 years (2025–2029) to the contestable fund.

The initiative is jointly funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Health New Zealand. MPI administers the fund.

Funding has been allocated through a competitive process.

New fund to back rural wellbeing programmes – Beehive

Government backing rural resilience and wellbeing – Beehive

Primary Sector-Government partnership to boost rural health and resilience – Beehive

Purpose of the fund

The fund backs wellbeing programmes that:

• boost support for existing initiatives
• broaden access to existing initiatives
• improve consolidation of existing initiatives
• improve the viability of organisations delivering wellbeing initiatives
• deliver new initiatives where gaps exist.

How we allocated the funding

The fund had a 2-stage application process.

Expressions of interest (EOI) opened on 11 June 2025 and closed on 18 August 2025.

EOIs were assessed by an advisory group that included industry representatives. Its sector and rural health members were:

• Andy Fox
• Vanessa Thomson
• Rowan Struthers
• Rowena Duncum
• Dr Grant Davidson.

Successful expressions of interest were then invited to submit a funding application.

All applications were required to demonstrate they also had industry funding.

List of projects that got funding

The list includes the name of the group, the amount of funding, and a summary of how the money will be used.

Whatever with Wiggy Charitable Trust: $740,000

Stronger Together: 'Lean on a Gate' and 'Mates' are co-delivering a rural wellbeing and suicide prevention programme including training, a helpline, connection and engagement at events.

The Whanau Ora Community Clinic Ltd: $716,000

Awhi NZ Rural Support: A one-stop shop model delivering integrated health, safety, employment, and social support services to rural communities, supporting existing services already operating. It delivers services through mobile clinics, by phone, or in-person.

The NZ Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Incorporated: $585,000

Supporting the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of young people in the primary sector through programmes that provide community and social connection, personal and professional development, and mental health support and promotion.

Seafood Sector Support Network Trust: $550,000

FirstMate: Building community resilience, capability, and capacity for fishers, marine farmers, and whānau. Provides website, phone, and on-the-ground in-person navigators to support those in the seafood sector.

Life-Supporting Communities NZ Trust: $400,000

Be A Mate – Hei Hoa Te Ngāhere: Expanding peer support and wellbeing in rural forestry. Training people to be able to recognise distress, provide support and first aid skills, and support the return to work with a layered framework of support.

Farmstrong Charitable Trust: $399,250

Getting Through: Extending the reach of this initiative to those in rural communities who will be impacted by extreme weather events over the next 4 years.

Surfing for Farmers Charitable Trust: $160,000

A mental health and wellbeing initiative designed to support farmers and growers. The programme offers learn-to-surf sessions that provide a much-needed break from the daily pressures of farming life.

Tuākana Tēina Kaiārahi Ltd: $90,000

Tū Toā – Stand Strong: A rural wellbeing initiative that combines strength-based mentoring, life skills development, and community engagement for rangatahi (ages 5 to 24) in rural Northland.

Ara Taiohi Incorporated: $70,000

Resourcing rural communities for their rangatahi: Targeting the isolation and wellbeing needs of young people living in regional areas by providing youth development training to organisations.

NZ Shearing Contractors Association: $50,000

Live Well, Shear Well: Strengthening the wellbeing and resilience of the shearing and wool-handling workforce through delivery and promotion of resources.

Mates of Tairāwhiti Charitable Trust: $50,000

Mates Mana: Resilience, mental health and wellbeing workshops. It is being rolled out in rural communities in Tairāwhiti along with a stress management and self-care workshop.

OTS Limited (Livemewell): $48,400

GrowUSwell: A rural men's wellbeing programme. It delivers practical, down-to-earth wellbeing education to rural men through a series of group workshops focused on mindset, stress, resilience, and peer connection.

Te Manu Korero O Nga Matauranga Central King Country REAP Trust: $40,000

A coordinated wellbeing pilot to address social isolation, service access barriers, and unmet needs among elderly residents in the central King Country.

Spark That Chat Limited: $20,000

Cut The Bull: A grassroots rural wellbeing campaign to reduce suicide and promote mental wellness through connection and conversation. This initiative builds on Spark That Chat's existing rural outreach and addresses gaps in connection and mental health awareness in remote communities. 

DB Farming Limited Trading as Deanne Parkes: $15,000

Inside Out: Supporting rural women by strengthening their mental health. This is a non-clinical mental health and resilience initiative.

Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Growers Incorporated: $15,000

A pilot to support Chinese vegetable growers who have experienced financial and other pressures. In collaboration with Asian Family Services, the programme will provide support services in Mandarin and Cantonese, aiming to reduce stigma through culturally appropriate communication and connection.

The Aoraki Multicultural Council T/A Multicultural Aoraki: $12,000

Rural Outreach Connection Services: A home visit programme to provide support and connection to resources for new migrants who are on-farm or in isolated communities.

Blueprint NZ Ltd: $11,875

Weathering the Storm: Online workshops designed for rural communities affected by extreme weather events. The programme explores anxiety, stress and heightened emotions associated with severe weather and the impact that can have on people and communities.