Suffolk Mind team up with Ipswich Town Football Club to raise awareness of mental health

Suffolk Mind has joined forces with Ipswich Town Football Club to shine a spotlight on mental health.

The club has released a video which includes high profile Ipswich town players like captain Luke Chambers and new manager Paul Hurst, explaining how ‘together we can all make a difference’.

Figures show that one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year and suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK.

Suffolk Mind wants to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health, and offers advice and support to help achieve this aim.

Jon Neal, chief executive of Suffolk Mind said: “This is a particularly exciting partnership for us because it gives us a way to get to a hard to reach section of the population.

“While there are lots of campaigns encouraging men to talk about their mental health, what we’re particularly keen to do is explore ways of raising awareness of the physical and emotional needs we all have in order to stay well. This might mean we don’t need men to talk, if they don’t want to, because we can enable them to look after themselves and those around them better by getting their needs met.

“We can’t wait to get started and work with Ipswich Town over the next couple of years, and hopefully beyond, as we work to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental wellbeing.”

Dan Palfrey, Marketing & Public Relations Officer at Ipswich Town Football Club said: “This is an important partnership between Ipswich Town, Suffolk Mind and the Samaritans.

“As a football club we want to raise awareness of mental health and the profile of both charities that are there for people to talk to. The fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK is alarming and that demographic is a large representation of our fan base which reinforces the importance of raising awareness of mental health.

“We’re really looking forward to working with both Suffolk Mind and the Samaritans this season and we hope to make a difference.”

The Mind national logo will appear on the shirts of all 72 EFL clubs (English Football League) including Ipswich Town next season. The iconic new design will be a first for English football.