The dairy industry unveiled details of the new consumer campaign, announced last week, which has seen AHDB, Dairy UK, Defra, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Executive join forces to deal with the fall-out of the coronavirus.
As part of the campaign, the dairy industry will be supporting mental health charity Mind to highlight the importance of human connections during lockdown.
The ‘Milk Your Moments’ campaign aims to celebrate and inspire the little moments of connection that are bringing people together whilst physically apart due to coronavirus. By encouraging more open conversations with others, the industry hopes to support Mind in making a positive impact on people’s mental health.
Emma Ihsan, head of corporate partnerships at Mind, said, “A vast number of us have seen our mental health deteriorate during the coronavirus crisis. Whilst we know that there is no one size fits all for improving mental wellbeing, we have seen first-hand how regular social interaction can improve and maintain mental health.
“Therefore, through this campaign, we hope to remind people of the importance of human connection and encourage people to think about someone close to them who could perhaps benefit from a cuppa and a chat.”
The ‘Milk Your Moments’ site includes suggestions on how to make a real world connection - whether that’s having a coffee with friends, or a virtual gathering with work mates.
People can then capture and share a moment of connection by tagging #milkyourmoments and @milkyourmoment across Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. They are also being asked to encourage friends and family to do the same.
For every person that unlocks a moment, dairy workers and farmers will donate £1 ($1.20) until the £100k ($120,000) target is reached. This donation will go towards supporting Mind, Inspire and the Scottish Association for Mental Health continue delivering services and providing information to people experiencing mental health problems.
Ash Amirahmadi, chairman of the Dairy Marketing Forum, said, “As an industry, we are seeing first-hand the impact mental health issues are having on farmers. Open conversations and special moments of connection are more important than ever during this crisis.
“We know that milk has long been a central part in the way people connect, from bedtime cocoa and stories to tea with your neighbors and a cup of coffee with your new colleague. We hope that through this campaign, we can celebrate these little moments and inspire amazing new ones, using the dairy products in your cupboard or fridge - as a catalyst.”