Northern NSW Football is delighted to announce it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Talk2MeBro on a mental health program for northern NSW clubs.
Talk2MeBro will deliver mental health programs to premier and community clubs across the region.
The program will be delivered to male and female players 15-years and up.
Talk2MeBro’s early intervention programs aim to reduce the incidence of suicide.
NNSWF premier clubs will be asked to sign the NNSWF mental health pledge and all community clubs will be encouraged to sign a NNSWF mental health commitment.
NNSWF CEO Peter Haynes was pleased to reestablish the partnership.
“Northern NSW Football previously had a partnership with Talk2MeBro and I am delighted that we have been able to bring it back in a more formal capacity,” Haynes said.
“This is not just a program or partnership for male participants. Mental health issues effect everyone which is why it’s really important that we provide support for female players as well.
“But the statistics are clear. Men make up 75 per cent of those who take their own life in Australia. And teaming up with Talk2MeBro will hopefully be a great way to get help inside our clubs and directly to players who might need it.”
All clubs are invited to participate in NNSWF’s Mental Health Round on the weekend of 26-28 July.
Talk2MeBro Director Luke Conners looked forward to supporting clubs and their players.
“Mental health education and support should be accessible to all,” Conners said.
“This partnership between NNSWF and Talk2mebro aims to further empower our football community, nurture their mental wellbeing and create further supportive communities that champions mental health.”
*Suicide statistics - Australia
• 8.6 Australians die every day by suicide. That’s more than double the road toll (ABS, 2022).
• 75 per cent of those who take their own life are male (ABS, 2022).
• An unknown number of Australians attempt suicide every year, with some estimates suggesting this figure may be more than 65,000 (Slade et al, 2009).
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44 (AIHW, 2022a).
• The suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is twice that of their non-Indigenous counterparts (ABS, 2022).
• People in rural populations are two times more likely to take their life by suicide (AIHW, 2022b).
• LGBTIQ+ community members report having attempted suicide in the past 12 months at a rate 10 times higher than the general Australian population (Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, 2021; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, 2020).
• Beyond the tragic loss of the person, the impact of suicide deaths are felt by up to 135 people, including family members, work colleagues, friends, first responders at the time of death (Cerel et al, 2019).
• An estimated 1 in 3 of Australians reported feeling lonely (AIHW, 2021).
*Statistics sourced from Lifeline
