A men’s group set up in Ferguslie Park during lockdown are holding a football tournament to promote positive mental health and support those impacted by suicide.
The group was set up to help provide a support network for men who have been affected with mental health issues in the past and to further help break down the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
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The tournament at the Ferguslie Sports Centre is being held to promote positive mental health for people whilst also helping those that have been affected by suicide.
This year the event is being supported by the No Substitute for Life Men’s Group thanks to funding from local housing associations and Engage Renfrewshire’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.
The competition is set to kick off at noon on Sunday, July 3 as 15 teams of local people will take to the field in memory of those lost to suicide with support and information organisation invited along to raise awareness of the help that is available to those who experience poor mental health and wellbeing.
The event was established over ten years ago by Ferguslie man and volunteer Paul Cardona in response to the number of childhood friends he lost to suicide.
Paul said: “As a young man I was sick of going to all of my friends’ funerals knowing that if they had been aware of the love and support that was out there for them they would still be here.
“The event is an opportunity to get family and friends together in a more positive occasion. It’s a way remember the people we’ve lost and to let others who are feeling low or thinking of suicide what support is out there for them.”
The group was initially set up as an online support group to share information during lockdown and quickly became a place where FIFA tournaments were organised, encouraging people to keep in touch with one another at the height of the pandemic when lockdown was in place.
The group quickly grew to more than 194 members.
Since then, the group has been awarded £3,000 from the Tannahill Centre’s Good Ideas Fund which allowed the group to purchase the equipment needed to establish a regular games night and other activities.
Chris Johnstone, a facility officer at the Tannahill Centre, has been volunteering his time on top of his day-to-day duties to get the group up and running.
He feels it will help make a positive impact on people in the community, saying: "The Men’s Group is a space where folk can be themselves, not have to worry about saying or doing the right thing.
"It’s a space where we can interact with one another and not have to worry about being judged. For many, they’ve tried out new activities, or participated in physical activities for the first time since leaving school.
“It’s been a great way for us to support one another and already people are telling us how the group has cheered them up or encouraged them to make positive changes in their lives.”
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