Dalziel Rugby Club held an event as part of a nation-wide push to get people talking more openly about mental health for one day.
Time to Talk Day is organised by See Me, Scotland’s programme to end mental health discrimination.
It aims to get as many people as possible talking about mental health and the Motherwell club were keen to play their part.
Elaine Neilson, communications officer at Dalziel Rugby, said: “We took part in Time to Talk Day because mental health is a topic that we should all feel able to talk about.
“Having these important conversations can make a big difference to many people. The more we talk, the more lives we can change.
“The message we want our members to take from the night is that this was not a one-day event, but something for us to build on as a club to help further improve the supportive environment we strive to develop in our teams.”
Since its launch in 2014, Time to Talk Day has sparked millions of conversations in schools, homes, workplaces, in the media and online.
Dalziel Rugby Club ran a Time to Talk event with 160 players and coaches taking part in mixed age group touch rugby sessions and mental health conversation starters using ‘Would You Rather’ questions to get started.
Led by volunteers from the senior playing squad and club coaches, players from P5 up to senior came up with suggestions for how to make it easier to talk to a friend who is feeling down.
At the end of the evening, one of the leaders, club captain Ross Mitchell told us he was impressed by the level of engagement from the players.
He said: “We talked a lot about when and where would be a good time and place to talk to someone who is feeling low and how we can take steps to help them.
“There were fantastic suggestions about giving people time to talk when they are ready and recommendations of where to seek help such as Samaritans, NHS and Childline.”
Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig councillor Agnes Magowan came to Dalziel Park to show her support during the evening.
Every person has mental health, and any of us could go through a period where we struggle, but many of us are too afraid to talk about it. Starting a conversation about mental health might seem daunting but simply sending a text, checking in on a friend or sharing something on social media can break the ice.
Wendy Halliday, interim director at See Me, said: “Mental health problems are common and can affect any one of us, yet too often people are afraid to talk openly about mental health for fear of being judged. It’s easy to think there’s no right place to talk about mental health.
“But the more we talk about it, the better life is for all of us and Time to Talk Day is a chance for everyone to open up – to talk, to listen, to change lives.”
For information about ending mental health stigma and discrimination visit www.seemescotland.org
Dalziel Rugby Club, based at Dalziel Park in Motherwell, run three senior teams, youth teams from under-13 to under-18 and mixed mini teams from P1 to P7. For more information visit www.dalzielrubgy.com or contact Elaine Neilson on 07407 479429. If you are interested in playing rugby, a warm welcome is assured regardless of playing experience.
