Footballer launches mental health support service for frontline workers
Former pro Clarke Carlisle launches #Because2020 with wife Carrie
Last updated 19th Oct 2020
Former Premier League footballer Clarke Carlisle has launched a new service for frontline workers whose mental health has been impacted by Coronavirus.
Called "Because 2020", it's designed to help key workers spot the signs they need help, and where to find it.
Carlisle faced his own battle with suicidal thoughts at the end of his playing career.
Working alongside wife Carrie, he says they want to make a difference to those going above and beyond. The former Burnley, QPR and Watford defender told us:
"There are people who have given of themselves, not only to the detriment of themselves, but it's going to be a double injustice that wider society is only just acknowledging what they do for us. These people have been doing this for years."
Carrie Carlisle co-created the website once she realised the scale of the coronavirus pandemic and how frontline workers were going above and beyond to help: "When this first happened, our first thought was 'Oh my gosh, how are they surviving this?' They were already sick, they were already tired, but 'Oh, have a pandemic there you go'. It's too much to bear, and we had to do something about it.
"Imagine being the person who runs towards the burning building and not away from it. These people deserve all the support and awareness they can have."
Clarke and Carrie's Place
The pair also revealed their own struggles at the start of the pandemic, and how working together, they were able to find a way through.
The #Because2020 page can be found at www.clarkeandcarriesplace.com where frontline workers can find out information that will help them identify potential mental health issues like stress, anxiety and PTSD. It also signposts to a traffic light system, so people know where to turn, and when, when they need support.
Services range from talking therapy helpines, to emergency services.
After multiple suicide attempts, Clarke and Carrie are keen to stress the importance of calling 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
Clarke said: "If you are in immediate danger, call 999, go to A&E. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 999, get them to A&E.
"If you don't know where they are - and this was news to me - you can call 999 and request a welfare check and the Police will actively locate that person. Not to criminalise them, but to check on their welfare and get them to the appropriate support.
You can hear the full conversation with Clarke and Carrie Carlisle on this week's Mental Health Monday Podcast