A North Wales law firm is to partner with an organisation that tackles mental health issues among the country’s agricultural community.

Gamlins Law will work with the DPJ Foundation to promote its work across the region as well as helping to raise vital funds.

The DPJ Foundation was founded by Emma Picton-Jones following the death of her husband Daniel, a farmer in Pembrokeshire, in 2016.

Since then, Emma and a group of supporters have raised over £40,000 in donations. Last year, it was awarded a grant of £47,000 by Welsh Government to roll out the Foundation’s fully funded counselling and training services to North Wales.

The Foundation’s work has been praised by senior politicians including former Prime Minister Teresa May who said:

“The innovative approach you are taking to support the mental health of farmers and people working in rural communities is proactively taking help to where it is needed.”

Gamlins Law’s support for the Foundation is a key part of its award-winning ‘Give with Gamlins’ initiative which supports a range of projects across the communities served by its six offices in Rhyl, Denbigh, Mold, Ruthin, Abergele and Holywell.

Emma Picton-Jones said:

“I am delighted that Gamlins Law has agreed to become a partner of the DPJ Foundation. The grant we received from Welsh Government gives us the opportunity to become a truly national organisation in Wales.

“We currently have over 40 trained counsellors who have a deep understanding of the agricultural community and the mental health challenges people working in it face.

“We also have an ever-growing network of champions who help to spread the word about our work and to identify people who may benefit from our services. There is a 24-hour helpline that people can call.”

In North Wales alone, there is now a network of 14 community champions, including Rachel Wynn Jones, Director and Head of Matrimonial at Gamlins Law.

Rachel said:

“As soon as we met Emma and heard about the work of the DPJ Foundation, we wanted to help in any way we could.

“Mental health is a massive issue and particularly prevalent among the farming community.

“Emma and her team of counsellors and champions are doing a fantastic job of removing the barriers to mental health support across Wales. We are delighted to be able to help their efforts to raise awareness of the Foundation and the hugely important services it offers.”

The DPJ Foundation helpline is 0800 5874262.