CALM To Fight On Despite Suspension Of Phoneline

CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, temporarily suspended their helpline for young men on 16th March 2007 after the National Lottery and other organisations refused to fund it. The helpline/online service has taken over 33,000 calls from young men in distress in the  UK over the last 9 years.

A wide range of individuals and organisations – ranging from NHS specialists to MTV – have rallied to save the service – calling it a ‘lifeline’ for young men who find it difficult to talk about mental health issues.

CALM have vowed to re-open the line and will continue to campaign on behalf of young men and provide them with sources of help and support. Jane Powell, National Coordinator of CALM said: “It is frustrating that national grant makers such as the Lottery have not matched the public and corporate support that CALM enjoys.

“Young men are expected to be invincible and in control, yet gang culture, bullying, relationship problems, feelings of failure – are part of their daily lives. It appears that helping young men solve their problems isn’t a priority for grant makers, despite the fact that the suicide rate amongst young men remains shockingly high.  

Over the past 4 years more young men aged 15-35 in England and Wales have killed themselves than died from any other single cause. Last year the public donations to the charity were just under £70,000 which also secured over a quarter of a million pounds worth of free advertising from media partners, which included airing the thought provoking ‘Gulf War’ ad ad which depicted the number of British young men killed in the Iraq war alongside the number of British young men who have killed themselves in within the same period.

CALM promised to fight to relaunch the help line, and bolster the support and advice that is available from its website.  On a brighter note it has a packed year of fundraising events ahead with:

– the launch of a new a music download area shortly, aka Warchild, with DJs and artists already lined up to donate exclusive tracks to the campaign.
– a comedy “Stand Up to Stop Suicide’ night on 12th June at Clapham Grand with Phil Nichol, Simon Amstell, Robin Ince and Richard Herring.

Since its establishment in December 1997 as a Department of Health Pilot, CALM has established itself as an effective organisation able to communicate with young men in a non-patronising way about stress, depression and other mental health issues and to direct them to appropriate sources of help.