Joe Ward reports

Altrincham are pleased to announce their support for the ‘Take a few to mind your mental health this winter’ campaign.

With the support of British multinational confectionery company Cadbury, the campaign aims to encourage employers to give their staff a few minutes extra to take a break and look after their mental health as we enter the winter months.

In today’s world, taking a break usually involves scrolling through social media, which often adds to stress levels.

The message from this campaign is to set aside phones for a few minutes and, instead, sit in peace and quiet with a drink and a chocolate snack, blissfully free of distractions.

In addition, many people feel under pressure to donate funds to deserving charities at this time of year, but, given the high cost of living this Christmas, many may not be able to.

Therefore, the campaign asks people to consider, as an alternative, purchasing some chocolate/sweets and gifting them to a group, organisation or club, along with a positive message, inspiring them to take a break and spread the word.

Sean McNicholas, a Mental Health Officer from Dublin, has been researching issues in footballers’ mental health for years. He has written a booklet explaining his findings called ‘Hidden Beneath the Surface: Football and the Iceberg Theory’.

Sean has now decided to set up his own campaign, and he reached out to Alty for their support.

The club responded by welcoming Sean’s approach and added that they wished to spread the message and share the positive impact his campaign hopes to have.

“Football is seen by many as an important pastime and source of entertainment, but many involved in the industry have to live far from their home and family; therefore, isolation is a big issue,” he said.

“Taking a few moments to mind your mental health can have a massively positive impact.

“The aim of this campaign is to spread positivity at a difficult time of year, particularly with the high cost of living. Therefore, I’m delighted to receive the support of the club as the campaign can now reach more people and have a positive impact on a wider audience.”