The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announces its support for Every Mind Matters – Public Health England’s (PHE) new mental health campaign launched in partnership with the NHS.
The government-backed campaign is designed to show the steps people can take to be better prepared for life’s ups and downs.
It offers an online platform, available here, that allows users to create a personalised action plan recommending a set of self-care actions to deal with stress, boost mood, improve sleep and feel in control.
We recognise that taking care of mental health is as important as maintaining good physical health. A new PHE survey reveals more than eight in ten (83%) people have experienced early signs of poor mental health including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping in the last 12 months. While these can be a natural response to life’s challenges, they can become more serious if people don’t take action – and many wait too long.
We will be joining some of the nation’s biggest companies from the high street, entertainment, and finance in promoting Every Mind Matters on our channels and to staff, the cricket network and supporters.
A special film to promote Every Mind Matters has been written by Richard Curtis and directed by Rankin. It will be aired simultaneously at around 8:45pm on 7 October across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky channels.
The film features a range of people whose lives have been affected by poor mental health including former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff and Sarah Taylor who retired from the England Women’s team last week following a phenomenal career which saw her make 226 appearances, win multiple Ashes series and an ICC Cricket World Cup. As well as earning a reputation as one of the world's finest players, she has become a powerful voice on mental health within sport.
Lord Kamlesh Patel, mental health campaigner and ECB Board member said:
“ECB is really pleased to be supporting Every Mind Matters – it’s an important step on our ongoing journey to tackle mental health issues which are a growing cause for concern for cricket and wider society.
“As someone who has spent most of my life working in the mental health sector, it has been fantastic to see the strides ECB has taken to remove the stigma around mental health issues and to create a culture of acceptance in cricket. We are proud of the bravery and resilience of players like Sarah Taylor who are inspirational role models both on and off the pitch.
“We look forward to working in this space as we explore what more we can do.”
World Cup and Ashes-winning women’s cricketer, Sarah Taylor, said:
“As someone who has always struggled with anxiety, I know first-hand how painful and isolating it can feel. It’s a real privilege to be a part of Every Mind Matters and to stand alongside so many amazing role models in the film to show anyone who’s struggling that they are not alone and there is help out there. That’s a message I’m passionate about using my platform and voice to share with as many people as possible.”
World Cup-winning England men’s cricketer, Mark Wood, said:
“As a professional sportsperson you experience highs and lows so it’s important that players are in an environment where we are able to open up and talk about how we feel. We also want to show young cricketers that it’s okay to talk, whether that’s with friends, parents or a coach.”
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of PHE, said:
“Our health is affected by our circumstances, including having a job, friends and a roof over our heads. Anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping can affect everyone. Every Mind Matters aims to help people to better handle life’s ups and downs.”
Every Mind Matters is backed by a coalition of mental health charities and champions, including Mind, Mental Health First Aid England, Time to Change, The Royal Foundation and the Samaritans.
This new resource is available for the public and for GPs to advise their patients to use.
ECB’s mental health initiatives:
ECB’s support for Every Mind Matters builds on our existing work in mental health including:
- Medical and coaching support staff who meet regularly to discuss player wellbeing, both physical and mental
- All England players have access to psychological support 24-hours-a-day
- Working with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) to support player wellbeing initiatives e.g. Personal Development Managers and a 24-hour confidential helpline
- Range of measures to support ECB staff including mental health first aid training and access to a clinical psychologist
- Club-level educational programme that is in its pilot phase
- Through the South Asian Action Plan, we have started trained female South Asian community activators to become mental health first aiders
- Investment into mental health medical research
- Some First-Class Counties, as well as County Boards and Foundations, run regional mental health support and awareness programmes