An outreach worker and farmer in conversation at a farm yard in Argyll
Oban & Argyll · SCIO

Keeping Argyll's farming families healthy and safe

Vibrant Health Advocates – Janus brings practical, no-nonsense health-and-safety guidance directly to farming and crofting families across Oban and the wider Argyll region — because the people who work this land deserve the same access to reliable health information as anyone else.

Working with the land — and the people on it

Working the land around Oban and across Argyll is demanding, rewarding, and inherently physical. It means early mornings in wet fields, lifting and hauling in all weathers, working alongside livestock that don't follow instructions, and often doing it all with a near-empty phone battery and the nearest GP surgery forty minutes away.

Vibrant Health Advocates – Janus exists because farming and crofting families in this part of Scotland carry a disproportionate burden of occupational health risk — musculoskeletal strain, chemical exposure, crush and machinery injuries, fatigue-related accidents — and yet historically receive far less targeted health information than workers in almost any other industry.

We change that by showing up where people actually are: at marts and shows, at the farm gate, in village halls, and online. Our approach is warm and direct, grounded in respect for the knowledge and resilience of the people we work with, and always focused on practical steps rather than lectures.

Our story What we do

Three ways we make a difference

From farm visits to workshops and a helpline that's always there — practical support built around the rhythms of agricultural life.

Farm-Gate Outreach

We travel to farms and crofts across Argyll to deliver health and safety information in context — on the ground where the risks actually live. No forms to fill, no waiting rooms, just a conversation that might save your back, your hearing, or your life.

Body MOT Workshops

Our well-attended seasonal workshops give working farmers and crofters a structured opportunity to check in on common occupational health markers — musculoskeletal health, respiratory function, skin and hearing checks — with trained practitioners who understand agricultural work.

Year-Round Helpline

Our phone and email helpline connects Argyll's farming community with straightforward guidance on recognising symptoms, understanding when to seek care, and navigating rural health services. We reply to every message, usually within the same working day.

Farming families, reached

A snapshot of our work across Argyll in the past year.

340+ Families reached annually
48 Farms visited last year
12 Workshops delivered in Argyll

Help us reach more of Argyll's farming community

Vibrant Health Advocates – Janus runs on the energy and investment of people who care about the farming communities of Argyll. Whether you are a local business, a health professional who wants to put your expertise to work in the field, or an individual who believes that rural health equity matters, there is a place for you here.

Everything we do — every farm visit, every workshop, every information pack — depends on the generosity and involvement of people like you.

Get involved Get in touch
Volunteer outreach session on a hillside farm above Oban

Ready to connect with Argyll's farming health network?

Get in touch