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04/11/08
Farmers are to be offered a free health check at this month's English Winter Fair livestock showcase (Nov 15-16), Stafford, thanks to Birmingham-based medical programme makers Maverick TV.
Peak of physical fitness...but what about the handler? A free health check for farmers is being offered at this month’s
English Winter Fair.
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Maverick's specialist team of GPs and mobile doctor's surgery will be at the weekend-long event on Sunday November 16 hoping to focus farmers' attention on tackling health issues that can often, due to labour constraints, be put on the back-burner.
"It's not unusual to find farmers and their workforce coping with what may seem to be minor injuries picked up during the working day rather than having it checked out with a doctor," explains a spokesman for the English Winter Fair. "But with the threat of a zoonosis being transferred from animals to humans and long term suffering from pulled muscles it could well pay to have injuries checked out."
A team of Maverick's GPs will tour the event - including the livestock handling demonstration area specially commissioned for the 2008 show - offering advice. It will culminate in a programme highlighting health issues in the rural community to be aired on Channel 4 early next year.
The visit will coincide with National Farmers Union president Peter Kendall's appearance at the weekend-long show who is expected to help hand out some of the top awards to exhibitors on Sunday Nov 16.
Other organisations will also be taking part. Shropshire-based business start-up and advice support network Women In Rural Enterprise (WiRE) will host a street market highlighting seventeen members' businesses and Heart of England Fine Foods' cookery kitchen will undertake demonstrations and providing tasty treats in the event's Christmas Fayre retail arena.
According to show chairman John Pattinson the event promises to offer families from rural areas an entertaining visit. "A lot of work has gone in to ensure visitors have plenty to see and do and we must be very grateful for the many local businesses and sponsors for their support.
"Entry fees have been held at 2006 prices of £5/head for adults and accompanied under 16s free. "
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Timetable for the weekend show is -
Saturday November 15
8.30am Judging of livestock commences
9.00am Event opens to public
11.00am Cookery demonstrations begin
2.00pm Women in Rural Enterprise presentation
7.30pm Herdsman's’ Supper
Sunday 16 November
9.30am Baby beef judging starts / show opens
9.30am YFC competitions start
11.00am Butchers products competition
12 noon (approx) Supreme champion announced
2.00pm Auction of poultry and carcasses
2.30pm Sale of live pigs
3.00pm Auction of live sheep
3.45pm Auction of live cattle
4.00pm Sale of supreme champion
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