News

01 Nov 2018

Facebook group combatting rural loneliness and isolation

One woman’s Facebook group has had a huge impact on helping tackle loneliness and isolation in the countryside and made her a heroine to thousands of women across the UK.

Chloe Williams, founder of the Facebook group ‘The Crazy Life of a Farmer’s Wife’ knows all too well what it can be like to feel alone.

“I had a lot of connections with the countryside but didn’t come from a farming family so when she married a farmer, Ben Williams, it was quite a hard transition,” explains Chloe.

“Although I worked as a nurse to begin with, Ben did long hours on the farm and I was living in a new setting where I knew very few people.

“After having my son I was suddenly hit again by how lonely and isolated I felt. Although I went to baby groups, I found it difficult to meet and make friends with people who understood farming and what being married to a farmer meant.”

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It was August 2015 when Chloe launched the Facebook group as a place where farmers’ wives could talk, share and get help having realised there was nothing else like this available.

“When I set it up I was expecting maybe to attract about 50 members who would understand the lifestyle. However, in the first two days, the group gained 50 members and in just over three years it has grown to accommodate 5,300 women.

“The wonderful thing about the group is that it makes it okay to speak out about anything and everything. It’s been a godsend to me and to hundreds of other women in a similar situation.”

What the group offers:

• Professionals on hand for advice, including a midwife, lawyer, nurse and counsellor
• Organises JustGiving pages for those in need of help
• Christmas shoeboxes for those less well off
• WhatsApp groups for pregnant women and those who’ve just given birth
• Designated discussion topic days, such as Mental Health Mondays and Women’s Health Wednesdays

To find out more about the group, click here