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December 2, 2022
English national team footballer and West Ham United star, Declan Rice, has teamed up with UK charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), on a new campaign to address loneliness and encourage people to seek support. Currently representing his country at the World Cup, the CALM ambassador believes that “no one deserves to struggle alone” and that it’s “really important for me to use my voice to get people to talk.”
According to the charity, three million people in the UK experience loneliness, though more than one-third say they would never admit to it. At the same time, its helpline is answering more calls on loneliness than anything else. Data shows that an increase in loneliness can lead to greater mental health illnesses and higher suicide rates. With a mission to take a stand against suicide, CALM provides life-saving services, provokes conversations through national campaigns and builds community.
Rice joined the organisation last month to raise awareness and challenge stigmas around mental health and suicide. As part of the partnership, the duo recently launched the national #TackleItTogether campaign and film which shows Rice with the weight of the world on his shoulders as he attemps to play against invisible opponents. It is a metaphor for the mental health struggles that people face and the sense of isolation that comes from tackling them alone. It’s accompanied by the message that “whatever you’re struggling with, someone is always on your side.” This ‘The Invisible Opponent 2’ film builds upon the first iteration from last year featuring heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury.
“No one should have to put on a front and look happy but not feel that way inside. People deserve to be happy within themselves and talk to get the help they need,” says Rice.
“Everyone suffers at different times in their life and there are so many people out there who feel like there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel – but all it takes is a conversation. It’s about having that support network and having people you can speak to. Because no matter who you are or what you’re going through it should be easy to speak to the people you love. Just one conversation can make a positive difference.”
One in eight of UK adults have had suicidal thoughts and feelings attributed to feeling lonely. However, young people are the loneliest group, with 30% of 18-24-year-olds saying they felt lonely in the past week. There is clearly a stigma surrounding the issue with a quarter of the UK population feeling ashamed to admit to feelings of isolation.
CALM has a series of guides with friendly, practical information to help people understand their challenges and provides ways to find help and move forward. You can access them here: www.thecalmzone.net/guide-list.
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