Blackburn and Darwen may not be the heartland of Rugby League, but the RL Cares Men's Mental Fitness Programme is now available in the heart of Lancashire thanks to a groundbreaking 30-month partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The partnership was launched at an enjoyable and well-attended event at Darwen Valley Community Centre on Tuesday January 27, when RL Cares staff including the former internationals Bob Beswick and Keith Senior introduced the project to dozens of Lancastrians with a passion for prioritising men's mental health.
Group sessions will be available at Darwen Heritage Centre on Tuesday evenings, and at Blackburn Central Library on Wednesday evenings, in each case a programme of six one-hour sessions hosted by former Rugby League professionals, and equipping men with tips and tools to build their own mental fitness, a better mindset, and to support others around them who may be struggling.
Additional sessions will be held later in the evening at those venues, and at a range of other venues around the borough, with suggestions invited - community spaces, sports clubs, male-dominated work places - basically anywhere that men meet up.
And one-on-one coaching is also available to local men - practical solution-focused support to help navigate the challenges life throws at us.
This is available for free to men who live, or are registered with a GP, in Blackburn with Darwen – for full details and a link to sign up, click here https://rugbyleaguecares.org/bwd
RL Cares will also prioritise the development of a Men's Mental Health Network in the Blackburn with Darwen area, and will provide at least 500 young people in the borough with Movember's Ahead of the Game early intervention programme focusing on youth mental health.
Chris Rostron, the CEO of RL Cares, said:
"I've got family roots in the Blackburn and Darwen area, so I'm delighted we're going to be working here for the next three years, and able to bring the proven success of our Men's Mental Fitness Programme.
"It's been a pleasure working with the Blackburn with Darwen team to set up the programme, and again to feel the genuine enthusiasm and commitment from everyone who attended the launch.
"We know from the work we've done in a range of other settings such as the NHS and the Fire and Rescue Service that you don’t need to be a Rugby League fan or even a sports fan to take part and benefit from the programme. It's about giving men genuine real-life examples that they can relate to and learn from - helping them to thrive."
Councillor Brian Taylor, Deputy Executive Member for Health and Housing at Blackburn with Darwen Council, added:
“I'm a huge advocate for men's mental health and am already proud of the excellent support we offer in Blackburn with Darwen.
"By working with Rugby League Cares, we can strengthen and extend that offer by ensuring more men can access targeted support when they need it most.”