Welcome aboard Mid Canterbury's Josh Dondertman.

The Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust chairperson and dairy farmer has now joined the National Rural Support Trust board table.

He is the deputy chairperson and said he was proud to have been offered the position but was passionate about the rural industry and its future.

"I'm aware there are a lot of potential issues with the social side of communities that are disappearing,'' he said.

"So looking at how we continue to grow that space is something I'm passionate about."

Dondertman is contracting milking on a dairy farm near Dunsandel with his wife Becs and three young boys.

Dondertman said there was increasing awareness of the Rural Support Trust and its services within rural communities, particularly the one-on-one support provided to farmers and growers experiencing tough times.

"We are the only organisation talking with farmers and growers face to face at the kitchen table, but we also have a wider role in helping others within our rural communities to strengthen connections and ensure other support networks are linked in.

"Our national role is providing a framework for regional Trusts to best serve their communities, keeping communication lines and information flowing."

Dondertman said he hopes to share what he had learned from his experiences with Rural Support in Mid Canterbury with other regions.

"I believe what we do in Mid Canterbury is a fantastic model.

"It's about ensuring we have that clear direction, working off our values and vision, and then bringing the right people on board to drive the boat faster."

Dondertman said the organisation had become more effective in supporting farmers in recent years.

"I was in North Canterbury in around 2015 when our farm got M Bovis, and they weren't super supportive then, but that's definitely changed.

"But that brings its own challenges because there is so much workload, and volunteers are very hard to come by."

Dondertman said the trust has excellent brand awareness, but maintaining that, attracting more volunteers, and keeping the momentum could be challenging.

"It comes back to networking; that's why it's so important to collaborate with other agencies so they can help with providing information, so we know who in the community needs help or support.

"It's tricky getting the right people to help, but it's great there are so many people out there normalising the conversations."

Dondertman said that having experienced droughts and M Bovis, he understands how challenging it can be when things feel overwhelming.

"It's a miserable place to be.

"You think you are the only one affected when there are actually heaps of other people affected, and it's okay to chat with those people or find someone to help you through it.

"The whole reason I got into Rural Support was after going through that and hitting those dark places, I wanted to stop other people going there, or at least  give them some options."

Dondertman will remain as Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust chairperson until the end of his term, which ends in around one year.

Dondertman will be joined around the boardroom table by another dairy farmer, Michelle Ruddell, who has been appointed chairperson of the National Rural Support Trust.

Ruddell, who farms near Whangārei, is the chairperson of the Northland Rural Support Trust and will take over when Neil Bateup steps down on September 1.

"I have a huge respect for Neil.

"Rural Support wouldn't be where it is without the work that Neil has put in.

"The selflessness he has given to the role is enormous."

Ruddell feels her position as the Northland Rural Support Trust chairperson has prepared her well for the new responsibility.

"It's offered me experience, and the challenges, particularly of the last two years with Cyclone Gabrielle, have really highlighted the importance of Rural Support in our communities.

"The work we have done here in Northland has enabled me to step into this national role."

By Claire Inkson