This year the IGA Autumn symposium will focus on the very important topic of “Managing your Health and your Wealth”.

The event takes place on the 14th of October in the Tullamore Court Hotel and will commence at 7.30 pm with light refreshments on arrival. All farmers are welcome to attend this free event.

Our Autumn events have been sponsored by FBD since their inception 16 years ago. Without this long-standing support from FBD, it would not be possible to continue to deliver these wonderful events to our members.

There is no pre-registration required to attend. The overall aim for this event is to showcase the importance of managing both your health and wealth.

Commenting on the event Patricia O’Halloran FBD said, “FBD Insurance is proud to sponsor this event and to continue our valued partnership with the Irish Grassland Association. With deep roots in the agricultural sector, we are dedicated to supporting farmers and their enterprises. We look forward to an informative and engaging evening at this event in October, featuring two expert speakers addressing these timely and relevant topics.”

Farmers are a crucial asset to their family and their family business. Their health and that of their family, contribute significantly to the success of their business and home life. Facing into the winter period we would hope that this very topical event will have attendees come away with practical steps on how achieve a healthier lifestyle and build wealth and security for themselves and their families.

Wealth and health are issues that we all must deal with, but we often deal with them reactively rather than proactively. The biggest challenges that we face in our lives can be health or financially related, and often one happens because of the other. Because farming is such a full-on profession, we don’t always stop to think of the bigger picture and our long term health and financial security. Dealing with stress effectively coupled with healthy lifestyle and good financial planning can contribute significantly to ensuring a viable farm business is passed on to the next generation.

Financial problems can surface quickly when health problems arise, and seeking the right advice is crucial when they do. Both our speakers at this event are experts in their areas and will be on hand to answer questions and provide help to attendees on the evening. Our first speaker is Kieran Coughlan, a well-known columnist with the Irish Examiner. He writes a regular column focusing on farm finance. Kieran also runs a very successful Agri-finance practice in Cork. He will give a presentation on how to manage your finances and build your wealth with some retirement and pension planning options, for farmers to consider implementing now to ensure a comfortable transition from actively farming to retirement and succession. Attendees on the night will take home a helpful handout on financial definitions and calculations.

Our next speaker is Shelly Atkins who is a Wexford native. Shelly works as a mental health nurse, and has her own personal coaching business where she focuses on joining healthy life habits to improve both physical and mental health. Shelly has an honours degree in mental health science and qualified in London for Sports and Fitness teaching and has worked in the sports industry for 25 years, coaching international world championship gymnasts. In addition to her busy work schedule, Shelly has a weekly health coaching slot on Southeast Radio.

Please come along to this free event and embrace a healthier future for you and your farm business. A texting service will be available during this event, which will allow people ask questions anonymously if they wish.