by Julie Kissick
WHATEVER happens on the pitch tonight some of the Wales national team have taken part in the most important campaign of their lives.
Ahead of their crucial UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Hungary, the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu are asking men to talk about the ‘tough stuff’.
The players have taken part in a poignant video which features the harrowing statistic that every minute, somewhere in the world, a man dies by suicide.
They are encouraging men not to open social media or go to the bar alone at half time, but to talk to each other.
And the key message is about giving men a platform to find their voice and in doing so, improving mental health and tackling rising male suicide rates.
The national side teamed up with men’s health charity Movember to produce the video and encourage men to have meaningful conversations.
Movember is the leading charity dedicated to changing the face of men’s health around the world. Its single goal is to stop men dying too young.
The charity supports mental health and suicide prevention as well as prostate and testicular cancer.
Since 2003, the support of more than five million participants has funded over 1,250 innovative projects across more than 20 countries.
The Football Association of Wales wants the video to highlight how important it is to be ‘A Man of More Words’ and to encourage men to check in on and discuss with friends the challenges they may face in life.
The FAW and FAW Trust recently ran a nationwide campaign called ‘We Wear the Same Shirt’.
It aims to combat the stigma around mental health through delivery of comprehensive, unique football programmes for people suffering from mental health issues.
The programme provides a safe and empathetic environment for people with mental health problems to exercise and meet new people in the sessions held and delivered by domestic football clubs across Wales.
