The Farm Safety Foundation, which runs the Mind Your Head mental health campaign, has named Melinda Raker as England’s 2026 “Mind Your Head Hero” – praising her “astonishing record of service to rural communities and the charities that support them”.
Mrs Raker, from Croxton, near Thetford, was instrumental in the creation of Norfolk-based mental health charity YANA (You Are Not Alone) in 2008, offering confidential support and counselling to people affected by stress and depression in farming and rural communities across East Anglia.
She has helped bring “vital conversations into the open long before they became part of the national discourse,” says the Farm Safety Foundation.
It adds: “Her instinct for collaboration and her gift for bringing the right people together at the right moment have made YANA not just a service, but a lifeline.”
Farm Safety Foundation manager Stephanie Berkeley said: “Melinda’s influence has been felt not through fanfare or insistence, but through a steady, determined commitment to improving the lives of others – a hallmark of the most effective champions.
“In honouring Melinda, we acknowledge not only her achievements, but the spirit behind them: a rare combination of compassion, tenacity and unflagging enthusiasm that has illuminated the path for so many. England’s Mind Your Head Hero could hardly be more aptly named.”
Mrs Raker was made an MBE in 2024 in recognition of her work with YANA and other charities.
YANA charity director Robin Hepburn said: “Melinda has worked tirelessly for the farming sector for decades. She was present when YANA was born and continues to advocate for those in need.
“All of us at YANA join with many others in congratulating Melinda on being England’s 2026 Mind Your Head Hero. She is – and always will be – our YANA hero.”
The YANA helpline can be reached on 0300 323 0400 or via helpline@yanahelp.org.