YMHM/Opening Up Cricket's ‘The Lost Ashes’ Art Work Drives Awareness Of Mental Health & Suicide

Following the final weekend of The Ashes 2019, Youth Mental Health Matters and Opening Up Cricket teamed up with agency TBWA/MCR to collaborate on an art installation in order to drive awareness of mental health and suicide in the cricket world and beyond.

The two non-profits leveraged the end of the UK’s biggest summer of cricket for decades as an opportunity to spread awareness of the biggest killer of under 35’s with an art piece that consists of a series of Ashes urns: each one representing a young UK suicide which has taken place during the six week time frame of the 2019 Ashes.

The physical art installation itself sits are the core of a campaign that includes a powerful film

THE LOST ASHES from TBWA\MCR on Vimeo.

and a series of social media content pieces.

View this post on Instagram

Since the start of this years Ashes, 215 young people have died by Suicide. It’s time we opened up. It’s time to make this change. #thelostashes #WSPD #mentalhealth #theashes #openingup #YMHM

A post shared by Youth Mental Health Matters (@youthmhmatters) on Sep 17, 2019 at 6:15am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Yesterday we shared with you #thelostashes 215 young people have died by suicide since the start of this years ashes. It's time we talked about suicide. #thelostashes #WSPD #mentalhealth #theashes #openingupcricket #YMHM

A post shared by Youth Mental Health Matters (@youthmhmatters) on Sep 18, 2019 at 5:54am PDT

Yesterday we shared with you #thelostashes
215 young people have died by suicide since the start of this years ashes.
It's time we talked about suicide. #thelostashes #WSPD #mentalhealth #theashes #openingupcricket #YMHM @katecross16 pic.twitter.com/tf2LN85eTw

— YMHM (@YouthMHMatters) September 18, 2019

215. All out. Since the start of this year’s Ashes, 215 young people have died by suicide. It’s time we opened up. #thelostashes #WSPD #mentalhealth #theashes #openingupcricket #YMHM pic.twitter.com/qahPaSJqJc

— YMHM (@YouthMHMatters) September 17, 2019

The campaign is further supported by English international cricketer Kate Cross, who has spoken openly about her struggles with depression and anxiety on multiple occasions.

215. All out. Since the start of this year’s Ashes, 215 young people have died by suicide. It’s time we opened up.

Take a moment to take this in. #thelostashes #WSPD #mentalhealth #theashes #theoval @YouthMHMatters @OpeningUpCC pic.twitter.com/Jd25fbd4MJ

— Kate Cross (@katecross16) September 17, 2019

The installation, the ambassador work and all the campaign’s associated creative assets all encourage those affected to search ‘suicide help’ online to find the relevant services.

Comment:

This is an imaginative and creative approach to raising awareness of a very serious issue.

After all, suicide and mental illness in the cricket world is highly prolific: indeed, across all sports, current statistics show that mental illness is highest in cricket (60%), followed by rugby union (41%) and football (40%) according to 2019 research by the Daily Telegraph.

Youth Mental Health Matters is acharity which aims to give people a voice and change the fact that mental health has been pushed to the side, under-funded, and stigmatised for too long through a four-pronged approach – campaign, educate, fundraise and raise awareness – aiming to unite and tell people that ‘youth mental health matters’.

Opening Up Cricket promotes mental well-being and suicide prevention through cricket.

Links:

Youth Mental Health Matters

https://www.youthmentalhealthmatters.net/

https://www.instagram.com/youthmhmatters/

https://www.facebook.com/youthMHmatters/

https://twitter.com/YouthMHMatters

Opening Up Cricket

http://www.openingupcricket.com/

TBWA/MCR

https://www.tbwamcr.com/