Kent County Council has launched a new campaign to reduce the suicide rate of young men, in partnership with Kent County Football League.
The new campaign aims to tackle mental health and wellbeing among men, after figures revealed suicide is the largest cause of death among people aged 25 to 44 in Kent and Medway.
The council will offer free Mental Health First Aid training to clubs within the league, while the league itself will help promote the Mental Health Matters helpline.
Public health director at the council, Andrew Scott-Clark, said: ‘If you broke your leg in a tackle, you would go to hospital and get it fixed but would you seek help if you were suffering from depression or another mental health condition? Sadly many men don’t and they miss out on the help that could make a difference.
‘As part of our partnership strategy to reduce the number of suicides in the county, we want to remove the stigma around mental health, encourage men to share their issues and raise awareness of where people can go for help – we thank KCFL for allowing us this important opportunity.’
The partnership has been launched to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.
