Alongside the main stage at this year’s sold-out Women in Agriculture Conference, are a series of engaging workshops led by experts in health, wellbeing and farming practice.
Workshop speakers include:
Samantha Gallagher – Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Rural Community Network
Samantha will lead ‘Seeds of Security: Cultivating Financial Wellbeing’. With a background in law and policy, she has worked in private legal practice and community advice before joining RCN. She has been a strong advocate for rural families, successfully influencing government to ensure policies such as Universal Credit are rural-proofed.
Dr Rebecca Orr – GP and Researcher, Queen’s University Belfast
Rebecca will deliver ‘Practical Family Health on Farm’. A GP living and farming in North Antrim, she has a special interest in farmer health and is currently researching health behaviours of farmers at risk of cardiometabolic disease. Alongside her clinical work, she is founding chair of the NI Agri-Rural Health Forum, the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland.
Dr Esther Skelly-Smith MRCVS – Veterinary Surgeon, Shanaghan Veterinary Services and Louise Skelly – Senior Health & Social Care Leader and Farm Manager
Together, Esther and Louise will present ‘One Health in Practice: The Animal–Human Interface in Agriculture’. Esther, a practising vet and sheep farmer, has held leadership roles across veterinary associations and academia, while Louise brings over 30 years’ experience in health and social care alongside managing the family farm. Their joint workshop will highlight how animal health, sustainable farming and family wellbeing are interconnected.
Tickets are currently sold out, but you can join the waiting list via the Ulster Farmers’ Union website www.ufuni.org/events.
