Leading waste management and recycling provider Powerday hosted the first Sam’s Listening Mental Health First Aid training course on Saturday 7 January 2023 at their head office in Willesden.
Run in partnership with London Boxing, this new, certified course was funded by one of Powerday’s clients, Madigan Gill.
This latest Mental Health Awareness initiative will ensure London-based boxing clubs improve their understanding of the pressures and signs of mental health-related issues.
Following the tragic passing of amateur boxer and coach Sam Bezzina (26), the Sam’s Listening helpline was founded in 2021 by The Powerday Foundation, London Boxing and iCap to support those requiring specialist assistance and produce a sympathetic ear to help them through challenging phases of their life.
The course offered ‘real time training’ to educate 11 volunteers from 9 London Boxing Clubs in how to recognise concerns and provide the ‘best care and attention’ to their participants and members. This training initiative was introduced to support the Sam’s Listening campaign as a preventative approach and to remove the stigma of mental health within the sport. Representatives from Royal Resistance, Islington, Aberfeldy, Dagenham, Dale Youth, Haringey, Metrobox, Fairburn and Hawley ABC were among those to attend the first event.
Free for participating clubs in the capital to attend, the training was delivered by Elite Force Safety who offered its expertise and experience in providing quality Mental Health support and care for their members. Volunteers from the clubs were appointed to attend the training course as part of the initial first cohort of London Boxing clubs, with more courses in the pipeline throughout 2023.
Volunteer Dan O’Sullivan from Dagenham, and Club Support Officer for England Boxing, said: “The Mental Health course was excellent. It was very well presented in a clear and enjoyable way. It gave me a much better understanding of how mental health and well-being issues can affect the lives of our members, and of the different types of mental health conditions/illnesses. I feel much better equipped to notice the signs and symptoms of these issues and feel confident that I would now respond in the right way. Thank you to Powerday for supporting the need for much better mental health awareness.”
Powerday’s charitable arm, the Powerday Foundation, aims to improve the lives of young Londoners through sport and opportunity. While exercise cannot cure mental illnesses such as stress, depression and anxiety, the benefits it provides to a state of overall well-being are a strong consideration for many, which is why the company continues to look for new ways to support those in need of specialist mental health assistance.
Tony Ball, Managing Director, MadiganGill Logistics, commented: “With so much stigma surrounding mental health, it can be so hard for people to acknowledge they even have a problem. In construction, two workers take their own life every single day. We are so pleased to be supporting Sam’s Listening and Powerday’s Mental Health First Aid Course initiative, especially as Powerday are one of our key supply chain partners.”
Tara Crossan, Head of Marketing & Communications at Powerday, added: “We believe passionately in the power of sport to improve mental health and wellbeing and foster stronger communities. The Sam’s Listening training course was very well attended, and we hope it will be the first one of many. Enabling volunteers from the Boxing Clubs to recognise the signs of mental health problems with the people they train on a regular basis will hopefully help many people who may not necessarily know who to talk to in the first instance.”
