Farmers are the backbone of our rural landscape, yet often the ones who struggle in silence. In Nailsworth, wellness practitioner Rose Unwin is offering a gentle lifeline in the form of free monthly meet-ups combining community, connection and the healing powers of fire and ice.
Life on the land has always demanded a certain grit. The sort of strength you don’t boast about; the kind that’s forged in early mornings, long days, and a weather forecast that often seems to have a personal vendetta. But talk to farmers across Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds today, and a disturbing theme emerges, it’s not just the fields that are under pressure – it’s the people tending them.
Rising costs. Unpredictable weather. Endless paperwork. Livestock worries. Isolation. And, overshadowing it all, the weight of trying to keep a family farm afloat in an increasingly unforgiving landscape. It comes as no surprise – yet still hits like a punch to the gut – that suicide rates among farmers in the UK continue to rise. These are the individuals who quite literally keep the country fed; yet, when the long shadows close in, many struggle on silently.
For Nailsworth wellness practitioner Rose Unwin, that silence is no longer something she’s willing to accept. As a teenager, Rose joined her local Young Farmers in Devon, and found herself swept into the camaraderie of stock shows, agricultural know-how, and the unspoken understanding of a community built on hard work. She left with muddy boots, fond memories, and – crucially – a lifelong respect for the men and women who work the land.
Years later, in her beautifully tended wellness garden in Nailsworth, that respect has evolved into something far more active.
‘There’s so much resilience in the farming community,’ she tells me, her voice gentle but sure. ‘But resilience doesn’t mean people shouldn’t have support. Farmers give and give – to their animals, to their land, to the rest of us. Someone has to look out for them, too.’
Her wellness practice, Rose Unwin Wellness, is tucked into one of those corners of the Cotswolds that feels as if it were designed for exhaling. A soft breeze, birdsong, a garden brimming with herbs and quiet intention. People come for reflexology, holistic therapies, and the enveloping calm that Rose seems to carry in her pockets like warm stones.
But this year marked a shift. Rose began studying with Dr Susanna Søberg, the Danish metabolic scientist whose research on the benefits of ‘contrast therapy’ – moving between intense cold and soothing heat – has captured global attention. Denmark, despite regularly topping the world happiness charts, still sees 80% of its population experience a mental health crisis at some point in their lives. That statistic startled Rose.
‘What does that say about the pressures on a place like rural Britain?’ she asks. ‘Especially for farmers, whose stresses are constant and all-consuming.’
And so, with pragmatic kindness, the sort that feels distinctly Cotswold, Rose decided to do something. This spring, she’s launching free monthly meetups for farmers at her Nailsworth garden. Not therapy, not a workshop, not anything formal or intimidating. More like a cuppa, a chat, and the kind of restorative experience most farmers never think to offer themselves.
At the heart of the sessions is contrast therapy: stepping into the warmth of the sauna, then into the bite of a cold-water immersion pool, before returning again to heat and calm. It sounds simple until Rose explains the science.
‘The cold and heat stress that contrast therapy invokes can be a powerful antidote to anxiety and depression,’ she says. ‘Cold water lowers inflammation. It boosts endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine – all those chemicals that lift your mood and motivation. Then, when you move into the sauna, the heat helps release serotonin, the body’s natural “happy” hormone.’
She smiles. ‘People are often surprised by how quickly they feel the difference. You can arrive worn down by worry and walk away feeling lighter, calmer, grounded, capable again.’
But there’s something deeper at work in these sessions: community. Farming can be a lonely business, especially during the darker months when work piles up and daylight feels rationed. Rose hopes the meetups will allow farmers to talk openly (or quietly, if they prefer) with others who understand the pressures without explanation.
‘I’m not trying to diagnose or fix anyone,’ she emphasises. ‘It’s about connection. It’s about showing farmers that they matter, that their wellbeing matters. And giving them a space where they’re looked after for once.’
In a world where rural isolation can be as dangerous as any physical risk, that kind of space feels vital.
When I ask what she hopes the meet-ups will achieve, Rose thinks for a moment.
‘I hope they feel a little less alone,’ she says, simply. ‘And I hope they start to realise that taking care of themselves isn’t indulgent, it’s essential! You can’t pour from an empty bucket. Not on a farm; not anywhere.’
Her warmth is disarming in its sincerity. She isn’t doing this for headlines or applause. She’s doing it because she knows the landscape of British farming: the pride, the strain, the sometimes invisible fragility beneath the surface. And because she understands that in a community where stoicism is a point of honour, reaching out can be the bravest act of all.
The meetups will be relaxed, friendly and entirely free. Farmers can dip into the contrast therapy or simply sit with a mug of tea and breathe. No judgement. No expectations. Just an invitation to feel better – in body, mind and spirit.
If you are a farmer (or know one) Rose would love to hear from you. The fields may be wide and the work demanding, but no one should have to carry the weight of it alone.
To join the free monthly farmers’ meet-ups or to find out more email: info@roseunwinwellness.com or visit roseunwinwellness.com
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