Who are we?
Hello! My name's Simon Clarke and I run a not-for-profit company called Speakeasy Club. Our mission is to make FREE & accessible mental health & wellbeing resources available in every community sports club in the world.
''If I'd had these resources available to me, in the places I was going regularly, maybe I wouldn’t have found myself on the edge of a cliff on Barry Island.''
This was my lived experience and I'm determined to make sure others don't feel the same way I did. By providing access to these FREE resources in places people go regularly, they will become accustomed to knowing help is there should they need it. Not just for themselves, but for a pal, a teammate or a family member as well.
Whilst we're based in, and born & bred Cardiff, I've been a Sheffield Wednesday fan for over 30 years now. so for me, there's only one place outside of Wales to focus on first.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We want to place the first two Speakeasy Benches outside of Wales, in a place that means a lot to us, and during the darkest times of depression, offered that place of hope and connection to like-minded people. These will be the first two benches related to a football club in the UK and it's exciting that Wednesday will be leading the way.
Standing out and being different is cool. It isn’t always embraced like that in society particularly not in certain community sports clubs. Having a place for people to meet, chat, drink, laugh and be curious is an important part of connecting. If we can embrace a pink bench being different, we can embrace the differences in, and support, each other.
Each bench has two QR codes on it. One, leads the individual to our online Speakeasy Clubhouse which has a suite of FREE wellbeing and mental health resources. The idea is that we get all these great resources in one place, making people's lives easier when they’re looking for support, whether for themselves or others.
The second QR code is venue-specific. I.e. Each of the two benches we're crowdfunding for will directly signpost people to the SWFC Community Programme and the activities they provide for Wednesdyites and the wider community.
Click here to see more about the mission
Photo: St Davids RFC, West Wales.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The money pledged by you will be spent in four ways:
1.) We will provide, paint & build two speakeasy benches with one being placed at the Jubilee Sports & Social Club and the other in the FanZone at Hillsborough itself. Both with QR codes, leading people to FREE mental health resources should they need them.
2.) Alongside LensGo Visual Media, we'll be filming two Clubhouse Conversations, one on each bench. We'll be joined by fellow Wenesdyaites and those who access the community programme. The conversations will be shaped around the good, the bad and the ugly that we all face, and talk through the tough times we've all had, as well as celebrate the good. All through the lens of the one thing that connects us - Sheffield Wednesday FC.
3.) The remainder (which, if we can hit our target) will be around £1,000, will be split 50/50 between the SWFC Community Programme and The Wednesday Week podcast community work. The idea is that this donation will be made on behalf of the fans, helping both parties to continue their brilliant work in the community and use the power of football and the Owls to help people improve their mental health.
Both of these aspects will be funded by the fans, for the fans.
Photo: Dragons RFC @ Rodney Parade, Newport
How you can play your part
There are three simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Times are tight at the moment and we fully appreciate that. If you can spare something to be part of this project we would be very grateful.
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! Our social media handles are @speakeasyclub1 and please share this link with your friends, colleagues and social media platforms. The more people we reach, the more support we will get. #wawaw
3. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!