Mental Health Awareness Evening – Thursday 18th January 2024
Photos displayed in gallery above, credit: ‘Neil Hall / Community Sports Foundation’.
Thanks to Connor Southwell for his write-up below:
Norwich City Fans Social Club held its sixth mental health awareness evening on Thursday, January 18th at Carrow Road.
Starting in 2015, the event has been crucial to connecting people to services that may benefit them and raising crucial awareness for organisations and the work they do in our county.
Norwich City stars Onel Hernández and George Long shared their experiences with mental health and the tools they use to deal with the constant pressure of playing football professionally.
Former Member of Parliament and mental health champion Sir Norman Lamb spoke about the work he has been doing since leaving Westminster alongside the importance of improving access to services for those struggling.
Doctor Ardyn Ross, a local GP and Mental Health Clinical Lead for NHS Norfolk and Waveney, and Professor Stephen Bazire MBE, former Chief Pharmacist for Norfolk Mental Health Services and Consultant Pharmacist for the NHS until his retirement in 2015, also shared their wisdom on working with those struggling and the treatments available.
Darren Eadie compered the evening and was able to offer insight on and empathy through the challenges that mental health has thrown up throughout his life.
Over 200 people attended the event with 22 mental health groups in attendance – that compares to 80 attendees and six mental health groups on the night of the first event. That documents how significant an event this has become in our calendar.
Norwich City Fans’ Social Club remains incredibly proud of hosting this event and will continue to do so annually to keep spotlighting the wonderful work that all the local groups do to help those experiencing challenges with their mental health.
The raffle on the night raised £315 for the wonderful Community Sports Foundation. We would like to thank all the groups for coming along and hope it proved an enlightening and insightful event for those who came along.
The 22 Mental Health Groups:
This event is not just about raising awareness; it’s about creating a platform for discussion and support. We were delighted to have the participation of 22 esteemed Mental Health Groups. This diverse range of organisations ensured there was information available for various aspects of mental health, from general well-being to specific support groups.
Why People Attended? To:
- Gain valuable insights from our esteemed guests about mental health in the sporting world.
- Connect with 22 different mental health groups to find the support that suits your needs.
- Be part of a community dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.
- Contribute to a night of empowerment, education, and inspiration.
- Make a difference by coming together as a community.
- Kick off the conversation and support each other on our mental health journeys.
- Be part of something meaningful.
