In the autumn of 2022, the players and staff of Mousehole Football Club were devastated to hear that former player Rheiss McLean died as a result of suicide. The tragic event served to highlight the importance of focusing on mental health in a club environment. In the following months, Mousehole renewed and updated our mental health awareness programme and appointed club officers to implement it.
We held a collection on a match day for the charity Band of Brothers, who give young men going through difficult times a mentorship experience that has seen remarkable results.
The donation from the club was presented to Band of Brothers in Redruth at Heartlands on Wednesday night at their Coming Home Ceremony, an event where the most recent mentees are blessed and honoured for their progress towards a better understanding of coping with their challenges.
The ceremony was a moving testament to the power of mentorship for young men and held in the presence of families and community leaders, as well as the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, the Kings representative in the Duchy. BBC Spotlight were also there to highlight the work that Band of Brothers do in the county.
You can find out more about the charity here: https://abandofbrothers.org.uk. There are branches in Penzance and Falmouth and plans to open in St Austell. If you know of a young man who could benefit from their mentorship, or an older man who might act as a mentor, do get in touch.