Ulster Scots farm safety poster is a hit at Balmoral Show

The Ulster Scots poster proved to be very popular during the Balmoral show, not least with young people between the ages of 5-12, but also with parents and grandparents, many of whom took a copy home.

Alan Dourish, Marketing and Events Officer, explained how the poster came about after the Development Team had away day, as they considered what they could do as something new for the show that would be engaging, topical, and provide an exciting avenue for the use of the Ulster-Scots language.

Alan continued: “I come from a rural background in Florencecourt, County Fermanagh, and while my sister and I didn't grow up on a farm, we were surrounded by farmers and had many friends who were farmers. I was also the leader of our local Young Farmers Club at one time, and as such, farm safety has always been something I have been aware of, and I know it has been a huge topic of conversation for decades.

"My colleague, Shirlie Gregg, who is part of the Agency's Education and Language Team, is also from a rural background, and was instrumental in bringing together the poster design and the wording.

"Four of the areas that we have highlighted on our poster - Tractors and Machinery, Bastes, Bales and Slurry Pit - complement the existing Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) 'Stop and Think SAFE' Campaign, in which 'SAFE' stands for - Slurry, Animals, Falls and Equipment. In addition, we also mention two other areas, the dangers posed by over-exposure to the sun (Tha Sin) and the need for young people to stay together and watch out for each other (Stye Thagither).

"It goes without saying that farm safety is a major concern for the rural community across Ulster and beyond, and so ensuring children know how to stay safe in busy agricultural environments is something everyone should get behind and support,” added Alan.

“We were also very pleased to have Dr Brian Monson from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) call at our stand to voice his support for this initiative, and they asked us to supply them with copies of the posters for workshops they hope to run in the coming days. Several Ulster-Scots groups have also requested copies of the poster, so we know it is continuing to travel far and wide, even after the show has ended.

“Ultimately, we hope that young people who read the poster, and hopefully put it up on the wall or fridge at home, come away knowing more about the importance of staying safe ‘oan tha fairm’, helping to protect themselves and others in busy rural settings, and that they feel inspired and enabled to speak more Ulster-Scots.” he added.

The Ulster Scots Agency have included a QR code at the bottom of each poster. When scanned, this will transport people to a page on their website where they will find links to existing farm safety campaigns by the Farm Safety Partnership and others, providing lots more information. The same webpage also includes content about the agricultural impact of the Ulster-Scots, which goes back hundreds of years but it also still a daily reality in communities across Ulster and further afield.