IT Takes Balls To Talk is a cause founded by Alex Cotton (MBE), a mental health nurse, who wanted to raise awareness and conversation for male suicide prevention within sport. The campaign aims to encourage dialogue with men who usually refrain to speak on mental health, especially their own. As a cricket club, this cause resonated with us and as MIND was our chosen charity for the previous year we felt it was a fantastic way to show more support for their volunteering projects.
Last year various clubmen helped to spread the word of ITBTT, both on campus and at local sporting events and we will be doing the same this year. Alex has taken training sessions on campus, about depression suicide awareness, which various clubmen have attended and found very insightful and inspiring. This year, we have already organised a suicide awareness training session hosted by Alex Cotton, where several other clubs as well as Men’s Cricket came along. Anyone wishing to get involved with them can do so easily if they get into contact with our charities secretary, Jonathan Brook (J.brook.3@warwick.ac.uk).
