Today is #SuicidePreventionDay. As an ambassador for @theCALMzone, I am incredibly proud to be associated with an amazing charity that is doing hugely valuable and important work with those in crisis.
However, suicide remains the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. In 2018, the number of suicides in the UK rose for the first time in five years to their highest number since 2002.
For all the great work being done at a micro level in trying to reduce stigma and to encourage people to talk, there still needs to a lot of work done on a bigger scale, from those in positions of power, from those with the ability to improve care and funding.
Write to them, encourage them to attend debates, petition them, make them aware of the realities of waiting lists and of statistics, that people are struggling to access care because mental health services are stretched and struggling.
While we wait for previous promises to be fulfilled there are charities, peer-led groups and non-profit organisations doing amazing work in filling the cracks. If you can; support them, donate to them, fundraise for them, share their message with people you know.
If you're wondering how you can support @theCALMzone then they've pulled together this helpful list.
Today is the tenth anniversary of me opening up Football Manager 2013 and starting a new game with Dynamo Dresden.
I could never have imagined where that decision would take me over the following decade...
I began at Dynamo Dresden because I was being forced to go and see Amanda Palmer, former member of The Dresden Dolls, and I wanted to try and make the best out of a bad situation. The gig wasn't great, my time at Dresden was only marginally better.
I reunited Michael Owen and Emile Heskey but couldn't win promotion to the Bundesliga, then I nearly bankrupted Brighton to sign Jermaine Jenas but couldn't win promotion to the Premier League, then I joined Hearts only to be beaten to everything by Celtic. Then I joined Celtic.
I appreciate this is a departure from what I would usually tweet about, but I've seen some kickback in regards to Chrissy Teigen's recent Instagram post about the loss of her and John Legend's child.
[cn: baby loss, child loss, stillbirth]
There has been some criticism of them taking photographs with their child. The two of them, and their other children, would have been excited for their new arrival, they would have prepared, bought things like new clothes, new toys, and got a nursery ready.
Now they may look at those unworn clothes and empty rooms and feel a real sense of loss and absence. A photograph of them with their child may go someway to helping them, to give them something to look at and reflect on, a moment where they had their child in their arms.
Today's FA Cup final is dedicated to #HeadsUp, it's been a privilege to be involved in the campaign throughout the season; meeting some incredible people, hearing their inspiring mental health journeys and being able to share Simon's story. #HeadsUpFACupFinal@KensingtonRoyal
I met Robert Morris from Hendon FC, who spoke about the outreach work he has done with people diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia and how football has benefited them. I met Ian Darler, groundsman at Cambridge United, and heard about how he has had to manage PTSD.
I met Katee Hui, founder of Hackney Laces, which inspires young women on and off the football pitch. I met Lucy Briggs, who found that becoming involved in officiating helped her mental health.
I've seen a few #ThanksToVideoGames posts today, so here's my thanks to them - a thank you to them for bringing me close to my brother, and a thank you to them for helping deal with his death.
We didn't have a Mega Drive or a SNES growing up, we had Simon's old Atari ST which was a bit outdated but he let me play Noddy's Playtime on it.
We also had a game called North & South that was based around the American Civil War, to this day I do not know how that game was played and I doubt Simon did either, but I'd try to play it pretty much every day.
@themichaelowen In order to find out what your ninth film should be, we should consider the eight you had seen previously based on the reviews and the length of said films.