Supporting “Silence of Suicide”

seniorsnooker Charity, Tour news,

This was announced yesterday on the “World Seniors Snooker” Facebook page:

Following yesterday’s announcement of the ROKiT Phones World Seniors Championship we are delighted to follow on and announce that we have adopted SOS Silence of Suicide as our Official Charity.
The Charity was founded by Seniors Board Director Yvette Greenway-Mansfield and her husband Michael Mansfield QC. The aim is to raise £14,700 to help provide a permanent phone line where anyone within the snooker family who is suffering from any mental health issue can call and someone will be there to listen.
The Charity currently offers a free, confidential, one to one online chat support service between 1-6pm every day, because of our previous fundraising with the ‘First Poke’ Challenges we are pleased to say that during our World Seniors Championships a standard rate phone line will launch.
This will start on 19th August between the hours of 5pm and 7Pm which will be between the sessions of play.
Around 800,000 people a year are dying by suicide (Source: WHO).
If what we do as a snooker family can prevent one of these deaths, it will stop another family being devastated.
On average if your shot time ever hits 35 seconds during that thinking time someone somewhere in the world has taken their own life. Makes you think.
We want to encourage everyone to speak up and eradicate the shame, stigma and silence that surrounds suicide and mental health in general. Please visit the SOS Silence of Suicide website and read their story, learn what they do and how they do it.
Once our events are able to host an audience we will provide a safe and secure place where anyone suffering with mental health issues can talk to one of the SOS Team. ‘First Poke’ will also continue to contribute to SOS.
We look forward to announcing many more initiatives in the new season with this fantastic charity.
SOS support at Crucible

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