The first All Wales conference on "Tackling Rural Stress" was held at Gregynog in 1997, chaired by Dame Deidre Hine, former Chief Medical Officer for Wales. It represented a truly multi-disciplinary approach, encompassing the Government, voluntary sector representatives and the business community, together with medical and other specialties. This was followed by a feasibility study on the way forward, undertaken by the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA) on behalf of the Health and Agriculture Departments of the Welsh Assembly Government, and recommendations were documented in a report by Fiona McFarlane (2000) "Rural Stress Support In Wales".
The All Wales Rural Stress Forum (initially the All Wales Forum Tackling Rural Stress) was established in 2002, with agreed terms of reference, as a partnership initiative to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those living and working in rural communities in Wales. The multi-agency partnership brought together statutory, voluntary and community organisations with an interest in rural stress, mental health and the wellbeing of rural communities, with a particular concern for vulnerable groups, including farmers and their families, the elderly, the young and minorities.
The Rural Stress Information Network provided the secretariat and the Institute of Rural Health chaired the All Wales Rural Stress Forum, with funding from the Rural Recovery Plan for Wales, following the Foot & Mouth outbreak in 2001. The Forum provided a central point of contact and information for organisations working to ensure the mental health and wellbeing of rural people. The Forum progressed its aims through a rolling programme of actions, events, research and demonstration projects and the dissemination of information.
At its September conference in 2003 the All Wales Rural Stress Forum presented a 'Five Point Vision' of a sustainable way forward:
The report is available from the Institute of Rural Health
Subsequent lack of funding post March 2004 has had a serious impact on the activity of the Forum and in the summer of 2006, in order to build on its initial activity and the partnership working it had stimulated, the Forum took on the role of the Steering Group for the Rural Stress and Wellbeing project.