The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is an award winning charity that focuses on preventing male suicide, which unfortunately is the biggest killer of men under 45.

Sadly suicide kills more men than heart disease and any individual cancer. 75% of all suicides are men; this isn’t widely known or discussed.

Some of the fantastic work CALM provides includes:

• Support for families who have a lost a loved one

• Offer counselling to men in the UK through helplines, their website and online communication

• Work with other charities and organisations such as TASC and the NSPA

• Encourage a cultural and societal change towards men’s mental health. Inspiring men to seek help when needed

12

everyday on average 12 men take their own life in the UK

3 in 4

three in every four suicides are male

55%

only 55% of men who’ve experienced depression will tell anyone about it

5,000+

average calls to the helpline each month

250+

suicides prevented each year

30,000+

website visits each month

WHAT WILL YOUR DONATION DO?

£7

will cover the cost of one phone call, which could prevent a possible suicide

£23

pays to take calls for an hour

£80

pays for their website to be up for a whole day

£160

will keep a line open from 5pm to midnight

£1,200

runs their entire helpline for an evening, meaning they can take nearly 200 calls a night

£4,000

can fund an entire issue of CALMzine spreading the word of men’s mental health

WHY CALM AS MY CHOICE OF CHARITY?

This cause is close to my heart as I’ve battled with my own mental health issue’s stemming from loss of my brother Tom (pictured right) who passed seven years ago.

Numbing the pain with alcohol and drugs was infinitely easier than facing my mounting issues.

I ended up in and out of hospital from mental breakdowns, which were triggered by substance misuse.

So after yet another trip to the hospital I was at a crossroads in my life, carry on smothering my emotions with substance’s or face up to them by getting sober and finding help.

Through my own will power and the support of my extremely patient mum and girlfriend, I’ve been sober for almost 2 years.

In this time I feel I’m coming to terms with my brothers passing and I feel that I’m in a strong position to tackle my own mental health issues.

I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE THE SUPPORT, BUT THIS ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE

CALM could be the only support an individual has, which highlights how important their work is. I want to give the support I had to another guy in need of a helping hand. Poor mental health doesn’t just affect the person who has it; it affects anyone in immediate contact with you.

Your support network takes the strain from your breakdowns and props you up during your darkest days. These loving people are also affected from the mental health challenges you face. By saving a brother, son or a father you can keep
a family from tearing apart. I don’t expect to save the world but If I can raise enough awareness/funds to help prevent one suicide, it would have been worth it.