Tesco’s F&F clothing brand has announced a new partnership with charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to help raise awareness of male mental health

CALM, a charity best known for its campaign work to raise awareness of male suicide, the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, are partnering with Tesco’s F&F clothing brand. The #MarkYourMan campaign features CALM ambassador Romesh Ranganathan and comedian Rob Beckett.

Urging people to ‘support your team, support each other, and support CALM’ the campaign highlights the contrast between the emotions men feel comfortable showing in relation to sports compared with everyday life. In the campaign's latest advert, comedian and CALM ambassador Romesh Ranganathan speaks about football as a good trojan horse for men to talk more openly about their feelings.

Timed to coincide with the World Cup, this new campaign encourages people to offer support to male friends and family who may be struggling with mental illness or mental health problems. Two t-shirts released for the campaign will be available until 1st August 2018. £1 from each sale will be donated to CALM.

The past 12 months have been a busy year for football and mental health. Over recent months, there has been an increased dialogue surrounding mental health and football. In 2017, we asked clubs throughout the Premier League how they support players mental health, what community-based mental health initiatives they offer, and what they feel could be done to further support mental health in football.

Questions have been raised about why football players are still afraid to speak out about mental health issues, and the hyper-masculinity that can still persist on the pitch and in the locker room.

2018 has seen the introduction of many positive campaigns, with the English Football League teaming up with leading mental health charity Mind just earlier this year; ex-Everton and Wales footballer Nevil Southall speaking out in support of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and an NHS trust becoming the first to use AAA title Football Manager 2018 to target mental health adverts to (prodominantly young male) players.

CALM have also made headlines this year with Project 84 and their petition to the government, urging more action be taken on preventing male suicide and supporting bereavement.