The Country 13/05/26: Craig Wiggins talks to Jamie Mackay

The founder of Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate, talks about training and MPI funding, firearms licensing, and DairyNZ cadets.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The twenty twenty one Agricultural Communicator of the Year is
about to join us. Craig Wiggy Wiggins lean on a gate,
talk to a mate. Hey, Wiggy. They're going to tour
this play later in the year. But last night I
went along to Sir Roger Hall's play called End of
Summer Time with Peter Hayden starring as Dicky Hart. It's

(00:20):
a one person play. It's brilliant. It's about an old
farmer or a retired farmer moving into town and all
the good, the bad and the ugly that went with it.
So I'll tell you more about that one when they
start touring this one nationally. I think you can still
get tickets. I think it's sold out tonight in Duneda.
You might get a ticket for tomorrow night, the last

(00:43):
feature of End of Summertime by Sir Roger Hall. Okay, Wiggy,
lean on a gate, talk to a mate, What have
you been up to?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
I would have been all over the place, Jamie. To
be fair, we've got the training program now where we've
bought the Mats and Construction Mental Health and Supports training
program over to Royal New Zealand put some red bands
on it. Mp I've recognized us with some funding and
we've started that program. We've had a lot of people
are show interest in it. We've had the first four
community awareness trainings maybe actually six in total are doing

(01:15):
them as I speak now, and yeah, we've got over
thirty percent of them have put their hand up for
further training to become those safe talk volunteers that can
reach out to people and facilitate help them and know
where to go. So, you know, with the EMPI funding,
were the chance with match funding to turn us into
a one and a half million dollar training program for

(01:36):
our rural service industries, our farmers and our on Facebook.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Hey WII, don't take this the wrong way, but are
there too many people being suppliers of rural mental health services?
I look at you, I look at the Rural Support
Trust who do a lot of other stuff as well.
Farmstrong's doing great work in that field as well. John
Kirwin's in there. Who do you go to?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
You know, we've got our own Lame Jamie to be.
Our trust is targeting those foot soldiers that we call
stock agents, agronomous pets and and royal service professionals to
actually get inside the farm gate and deal with some
of the things and challenges and changes that they may
be noticing on farm, and they are up there every
sometimes they are the only ones going out on farm

(02:19):
and are the ones that are making those changes. And
then from there we can facilitate helps through to the
Royal Support Trust or any of the financial advisors or
counseling services that are available as well. So what we're
trying to do is empower the communities to take more
notice of each other and look after each other, and
then get them to some of those other ones that
you've mentioned.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
You've been talking to darien Z cadets.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, just got back from up the top end of
Tempera to require a river area and three or four
cadets there from Darry and Z today and that was great.
You know, we talked a lot about mental health and
wellbeing challenges they may be facing themselves, and also the
fact that you know, if they notice seeing their bosses
under some pressure, how to have those conversations. And not

(03:03):
only there, you know, we know that teenage and rural
suicide for young people is pretty high, so what to
look out for in their mates and places like that too.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
And I've got like about forty seconds left. Firearm Licensing
Authority videos? Are you starring in them? On?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Won't Tell I'm a star mate, but I lives in
Wellington yet they live forming with the licensing authority Farms
Licensing Authority to trying to spell some of the myster
around reaching out for mental health and losing your firearms license.
So they'll be coming out shortly as well, and you'll
be able to keep an eye on our Facebook and
website for those information videos.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
How's the season trading you in mid Canterbury where you based?

Speaker 2 (03:41):
It's set a bit cold to be fair, Jami again
ble frost still got a fair bit of green under
the underfoot, but here you wouldn't believe it. I think
some of the farmers were actually looking for a bit
of rain here in eshburd And the other day and
they're definitely called off.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah'd be careful what you wish for on the EVA winter.
There you go. Craig Wiggy Wigan's doing a great job
in that rural mental health space. His website is Lean
on a Gate talk to her mate. Thanks to your
time today, really appreciate it.