Newcastle United and Newcastle City Council have launched a new initiative to encourage residents to open up about their mental health.
The project, called ‘One of Our Own’, has been unveiled during Mental Health Awareness week, which runs from 11 to 17 May. It features 11 specially commissioned benches placed in parks and communities across Newcastle.
The benches, designed in the clubs iconic black-and-white colours, include a series of questions intended to prompt discussion about football, life and emotional wellbeing.
Some of the question suggestions include, ‘Who is your favourite player?’, ‘What is the best goal you’ve seen?’, ‘How are you feeling this week?’ and ‘What’s been on your mind lately?’
Organisers say the scheme has been created to help break the silence around mental health in the region, where suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50.
Each bench also includes a QR code linking to support services, including 24/7 helplines such as the Samaritans and Newcastle United Foundation’s Be A Game Changer programme.
‘Football, particularly in this city, has a unique power to spark conversation and bring people together,’ Dan Burn, Newcastle United player and Foundation ambassador, said.
‘These benches are a brilliant way to encourage people to take a minute, sit down, and have those important conversations. If we can use the connection we share through football to help someone open up or reach out for support, then it’s a massive win for the whole community.’
In similar vein, Wolverhampton Wanderers launched a similar programme last week, in which they delivered a mental health training session for their fans.
Pam Smith, chief executive at Newcastle City Council, said: ‘We are delighted to team up with Newcastle United to support Geordie football fans to take care of their mental health and each other. Nobody should have to face life’s challenges on their own and we know how powerful football is to a united Newcastle.’
More information about the initiative can be explored here.
Image: Shutterstock
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