The Peninsula Stadium, photo credit: Salford City

Salford City have teamed up with Health Assured to help raise awareness of men’s mental health with a new campaign #NoSubstituteForTalking.

Throughout the 2021/22 season, Salford City alongside their sponsor Health Assured are hoping to raise awareness of men’s mental health.

The campaign comes off the back of high profile footballers and athletes at the Olympic Games speaking out about focussing on their mental health.

It has never been more important to encourage men to talk especially since statistics show that one in eight men have been through a mental health issue, with three out of every four suicides by men.

The campaign #NoSubstituteForTalking launched on Saturday August 7 when Salford City got their new Sky Bet League Two season underway against Leyton Orient.

The campaign features the 2021 first team squad, manager Gary Bowyer and owner Gary Neville in videos played on screens around The Peninsula Stadium and on the club’s social media channels.

Speaking about the campaign, Salford manager Gary Bowyer said: “Mental health is such an important aspect of everybody’s lives, and it is just as important to keep your mind as healthy as your body.

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Health Assured to share the message about the importance of mental health and encourage people to speak up.

“There is a perception that some people are immune to struggling with their mental health, but it can affect anyone at any point, and it isn’t a problem if it does, because support is there for everyone.

“All it takes is to start a conversation and talk about how you’re feeling with a friend, family member, teammate or Health Assured.”

Health Assured is the UK and Ireland’s largest independent and award-winning employee assistance programme provider and offer specialist support to over 15 million lives every day.

The Clinical Director at Health Assured, Kayleigh Frost, said: “There is still a stigma associated with men’s mental health and quite often its assumed that if an individual is getting on with their day to day routine then they are okay – this is not the case.

“We need to be challenging the stigma, encouraging open communication by having regular welfare meetings and talking openly about mental health.

“We are delighted to be working with Salford City to prioritise this important issue.”

Health Assured have created a free download for men who are struggling with their mental health, to assist them with getting the help they need.

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