Tom Searle Charity Day

Friday 10 November 2017

Tom Searle Charity Day

Raising Awareness Raised Over £11.5K For Mental Health

Equestrians from all disciplines put their ‘Heads Together’ to support the Tom Searle Training Day hosted at Wellington Riding on the 16th October. We can now proudly reveal that with over 260 spectator tickets, 140 lunch tickets, 40 rider demo places with 9 top coaches & more than 40 silent auction prizes, as well additional donations, a staggering £11.5K has been raised for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). CALM is the UK’s leading charity to preventing male suicide. Mental health issues are an unspoken battle affecting the equestrian industry - this event was a huge success in raising awareness as to how prevalent, complex & personal such issues are while focusing hugely on the positives of communication, learning & sharing to promote mental wellbeing.

“The event was in memory of Tom Searle who was a friend, colleague & an influential coach to many people. Tom’s death came as a shock & has highlighted the importance of raising awareness of mental health within our sport. Despite how therapeutic horses can be, the industry does come with its stresses & struggles, not to mention long hours, tiring physical work & the constant ups & downs of striving for success within a competitive environment.” - David Sheerin, event organiser.

The day centred around interactive demo session with top trainers Corinne Bracken, Judy Harvey, Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Jonathan Chapman, Lizzel Winter, Nick Turner, Richard Davison, Richard Waygood & Sue Payne as well as class room sessions with Dr Colette Mankowski & Lisa Ashton. Spectators were encouraged to move around different sessions, gleaning inspiration from the trainers, passing tips on via social media & using personal interactions to create a web of positivity. The focus throughout was the importance of communication #OkayToSay! This was highlighted with a panel discussion hosted by mental health professional Kate Sandel, followed by a motivational speech from Richard Waygood, Performance Manager of the GBR Eventing Team. Richard shared the concept of ‘healthy selfishness’ – the need sometimes to take time out just for yourself & not to be afraid to reach out for support to enable you to take that time away from the yard, the horses, the clients & the responsibilities for your own mental wellbeing.

The event’s silent auction contributed to over £6K of the funds raised. Sarah Thorne, who organised the silent auction & herself a close friend of Tom, was astonished by the generosity: “There were so many hotly contested bids such as ‘A Lifetime Membership’ gifted by British Horse Society, annual memberships from British Eventing, British Dressage & British Showjumping as well as ‘money can’t buy experiences’ including a weeks stay in New York with hunting, skiing or fishing donated by Daisy & Richard Trayford, with other industry professionals donating yard visits, tuition & course walks. Simon Blake, a client & pupil of Toms, donated a stay in his Cornish holiday home.”

Sadly suicide is the biggest killer in men under 45 years old in the UK.  The funds raised from the event will be dedicated by CALM to run its confidential helpline & webchat which is a platform for men to talk when feeling in distress or experiencing crisis. Between April 2016 & March 2017, CALM has answered more than 63,000 calls & have helped prevent 409 suicides. “A huge thanks again to all those involved who made the event the positive movement towards acknowledgement of mental health issues as an industry responsibility & to help fight against the unconscious stigma of depression within equestrianism”- David Sheerin

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

https://www.thecalmzone.net/

 
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