The ‘Hey Sport, R U OK?’ campaign has secured the backing of the QBE Foundation, which says it is proud to support the not-for-profit organisation in its initiative aimed at promoting a culture of mental health awareness in the grassroots sporting community.
“QBE has a long history of involvement with sport, partnering with leading sports teams in Australia for over 30 years,” noted QBE Foundation Australia Pacific co-chair Jon Fox. “This includes our partnerships with Sydney Swans and NSW Swifts, where we extend our support from elite athletes right through to youth academies that nurture the next generation.
“We recognise the importance of mental health awareness across all levels of the game and are delighted to back the Hey Sport, R U OK? campaign to support the broader sporting community. QBE will encourage our elite sport partners to share the resources throughout their clubs and promote the campaign at a grassroots level.”
The rolled out first phase of the campaign aims to direct sports coaches across the country towards the online resources that will help them spot and address the signs that someone might be struggling. A second phase will follow later this year.
Lifting the lid on the initiative, R U OK? chief executive Katherine Newton shared: “We are, sadly, too often contacted by sporting clubs and associations who want to host games or activities to honour members of their sporting community who have died by suicide. This has highlighted the need for a proactive approach and has led us to develop the ‘Hey Sport, R U OK?’ campaign.
“The audience for these resources is significant as is the potential positive impact because sport talks to all age groups across economic, regional, and cultural demographic markers.”
