The #AlrightPal campaign kicked off this week for World Suicide Prevention Day.
The campaign sets out to break the taboo around talking about mental health, highlighting the importance of starting the conversation as a first step towards suicide prevention.
Barnsley Football Club is once again supporting the campaign, raising awareness to fans, encouraging people to talk about mental health and providing support to those who might need it.
This weekend, 20 seats at Oakwell Stadium will don t-shirts featuring Barnsley Samaritans and #AlrightPal branding as a visual representation of the annual figures of those who die by suicide every year in the borough. The visuals will be in place for the Barnsley vs Leeds match on Sunday 15 September.
Daniel Stendel, Head Coach at Barnsley Football Club, said: "It's important that everyone takes care of their mental health, managing the difficulties we face in stressful times that people can face every day. #AlrightPal helps our fans to become more aware of the importance that supporting each other can have, making it okay to talk. You can feel like you're not alone, and there is help available. We are all human, and we can all help each other to get through things."
Cllr Jim Andrews, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health, said: "Every time someone dies by suicide it's a tragic loss for our communities, and once again, we're blown away by the support for our #AlrightPal campaign. There are some fantastic community groups, charities and organisations out there that work tirelessly to raise awareness of mental health and provide support to those who need it. We're urging everyone to take this opportunity to make a difference to someone's life and find out how you can help; even a simple conversation helps to make it okay to talk about mental health."
If you're worried about someone who might be experiencing mental health issues or suicidal thoughts, there's lots you can do to help. Take a look at the guidance at Barnsley.gov.uk/AlrightPal.
World Suicide Prevention Day is supported worldwide by the International Association of Suicide Prevention and nationally by The National Suicide Prevention Alliance. The day aims to highlight that although this is a serious public health problem, suicide is preventable and everyone can do their bit to support others who might be experiencing issues relating to this.
The council's public health responsibilities provide a duty to address many of the risk factors, such as alcohol and drug misuse and mental health, as well as our broader responsibilities around access to healthcare, housing, employment and improving our offer of education and skills. The council is driving the work on suicide prevention through multiagency groups, and local action plans to make sure partners are working together to reduce the number of people who die by suicide.
