ECB Pledges Support For Every Mind Matters With The NHS

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pledged its support for Every Mind Matters – Public Health England’s (PHE) new mental health campaign launched in partnership with the NHS.

The government-backed campaign is designed to show the steps people can take to be better prepared for life’s ups and downs. It offers an online platform that allows users to create a personalised action plan recommending a set of self-care actions to deal with stress, boost mood, improve sleep and feel in control.

A new PHE survey reveals more than eight in ten (83%) people have experienced early signs of poor mental health including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping in the last 12 months. While these can be a natural response to life’s challenges, they can become more serious if people don’t take action – and many wait too long.

A special film to promote Every Mind Matters has been written by Richard Curtis and directed by Rankin. It will be aired simultaneously at around 8:45pm tonight (Monday) across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky channels.

The film features a range of famous faces whose lives have been affected by poor mental health including former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff and Sarah Taylor who retired from the England Women’s team in September following a phenomenal career which saw her make 226 appearances, win multiple Ashes series and an ICC Cricket World Cup. As well as earning a reputation as one of the world’s finest players, she has become a powerful voice on mental health within sport.

Lord Kamlesh Patel, mental health campaigner and ECB Board member said: “ECB is really pleased to be supporting Every Mind Matters – it’s an important step on our ongoing journey to tackle mental health issues which are a growing cause for concern for cricket and wider society.

“As someone who has spent most of my life working in the mental health sector, it has been fantastic to see the strides ECB has taken to remove the stigma around mental health issues and to create a culture of acceptance in cricket. We are proud of the bravery and resilience of players like Sarah Taylor who are inspirational role models both on and off the pitch. We look forward to working in this space as we explore what more we can do.”

World Cup and Ashes winning women’s cricketer, Sarah Taylor said: “As someone who has always struggled with anxiety, I know first-hand how painful and isolating it can feel. It’s a real privilege to be a part of Every Mind Matters and to stand alongside so many amazing role models in the film to show anyone who’s struggling that they are not alone and there is help out there. That’s a message I’m passionate about using my platform and voice to share with as many people as possible.”