Checking in on free farmer health checks

A couple of years ago we donated our caravan, The Glob, to the local Lions Club and helped fund the establishment of a free health check initiative.

These days, semi-retired GP, Dr Warren Nicholls and his team can be seen at rural community events around the lower North Island almost weekly. They check an average of about 50 people at each event - mainly farmers.

It’s normal that 25 - 30% are referred to their GP with issues they either quietly knew/wondered about, or issues they only discovered in their checkup in The Glob. I don’t think it’s being dramatic to state lives, and so farming businesses have been saved.

Last week we towed The Glob to the Mates for Mates of Mates (link to their facebook page) event in Hastings, hosted by Matt Chisholm, Matt Holden and the Rural Support Trust. Farmers spending time together, socialising and thinking about their health. Just brilliant.