Champions of Wellebing

TAMHI Introduction

TAMHI is a mental health charity named after Thomas "TAMHI Tucker" McLaughlin who dies by suicide in 2009.  In 2011 we started working with 2 sports clubs in Belfast NI and we now work with 128 across Northern Ireland.  All our staff team have lost loved ones to suicide and all have sought support from services so we hall have lived experience.  Despite our trauma we approach mental health from a positive angle.

Mental Health in NI

1 in 8 Young People are affected by poor mental health (NI)

1 in 5 adults (NI)

We as coaches, youth volunteers and teachers can make a difference if we have the tools to inspire a growth mindset and meaningful conversations. 

We believe in the power of people to make change and make a difference to the lives of others.  Using Mental Wealth Games we give coaches and volunteers the tools to "Correct before you connect" , we make the topic of mental health fun, engaging and we support group leaders to drive change.  

Our Vision

Our vision is that clubs across the UK promote mental health and emotional wellbeing and we can achieve this with training and then access to an online app that contains content, allows us to share material and to enable the role out of a year long (years) mental health programme.

Our Approach

What we will do is roll out training in Mental Wealth Games, record it, create Game cards and then create an app that clubs, youth clubs and schools can use that promotes mental health and emotional wellbeing.

We aim to get sessions in different sports, record them on our phones and then upload and share NI wide with 100s of clubs and groups to replicate and roll out our approach.

£1000 will be training and development in mental wealth games for coaches and leaders – which will have mental health and social media training built in, how to capture meaningful stories and content (Men talking about mental health) - We have a robust PHA standards compliant programme. 

£900 will be delivery of games to groups (which is practical coaching which will recorded - delivering in a football, gaa, netball, hockey , waterpolo TBC , rugby setting) 

£500 – training how to use the app (which we will have in over 50 clubs within 6 months and we actually have a network of 129 clubs (some are really low capacity) - we have 50 that serve over 12000 people 

I will spend the other £2000 BA on an app – that all coaches can download that has the games, resources, tools, training links and we will have the ability to share content and they get a “Ding” when we do so its more than likely to get read or watched as its in their time and their terms. 

Any additional funds will be used for youth leadership wellbeing days in schools (NON Curriculum ) – Its NOT PE its enrichment , where the kids can come to us or go home. 

 Why we are needed:

Our big thing is this – too much mental health programmes tick a box, one off, mental health is done, about 20% (if your lucky) coaches go, as the majority “Don’t have time” – then when something happens , its these coaches asking “what should I do” and pointing the finger at the welfare officer who may not know the person in a specific team and he or she is expected to help.

Everyone needs to know about mental health and with our approach we will make sure that we have a means to engage everyone with content they can learn from and deliver e.g. Mental Wealth Game sports programme backed up by resources which can be circulated by an app after.

I was up in Half pace hurling on 20th August  gave out toolkits and was told tonight , a guy came up to leader and said thank you, he was struggling a bit, read some information and he feels a bit better and will reach out – that how easy and effective it is to engage IF you make the content relevant to the audience.

Impact of COVID

Before COVID Mental Health was huge issue, post COVID we have identified so many more issues around poor mental health, young people struggling with their health, development of bad habits such as vaping, drugs, loss of values and we have seen young people making bad choices leading to poor wellbeing. We have also seen a loss of confidence and self-belief , also coaches are struggling themselves after coming out of COVID with many financially hit , now facing a cost of living crisis. Coaches have seen 1st hand the impact of COVID and are committed to tackling this.  

Before COVID there where huge issues around mental health and COVID masked these, however sadly post COVID we are seeing the affect with an increase in demand for our services and also a number of sudden deaths in the sport community a young people are struggling after loosing 2 years to the pendemic and lots of young people struggling with issues around body image and living upto online profiles. WE ARE CHALLENGEING THIS HEAD ON.