Mental health football tournament raises £42,000
First ever UK Mental Health World Cup football tournament held Sunday 12 May, 2019 £42,000 raised for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and the QPR in the community Trust 75 five-a-side matches played by 24 teams 400 players and spectators A five-a-side football tournament aimed at increasing awareness of men’s mental health has […]
May 14, 2019
- First ever UK Mental Health World Cup football tournament held Sunday 12 May, 2019
- £42,000 raised for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and the QPR in the community Trust
- 75 five-a-side matches played by 24 teams
- 400 players and spectators
A five-a-side football tournament aimed at increasing awareness of men’s mental health has raised £42,000 in a one-day tournament at QPR’s Loftus Road Stadium.
“We’re blown away by the support this tournament has received – this year we raised eight times more than the 2018 tournament!” said Giancarlo Gaglione, organiser of the Mental Health World Cup.
Originally a small tournament known as ‘The Lan the Baron World Cup’, it was started to honour Gaglione’s brother, Lanfranco, who took his own life in 2012.
“I started running these tournaments because I lost my 26-year-old brother, Lanfranco, to suicide,” said Gaglione. “I wanted to do something to change the stigma around mental health and do something to reduce the suicide rates among young men.”
“84 men per week take their life in the UK, according to CALM; that’s nearly half the players we had in the tournament. It’s the biggest killer of men under 45.”
“We’re proud to be working with CALM to raise awareness and vital funds for their work across the UK and we won’t stop until the stigma around mental health is gone and men no longer suffer in silence,” said Gaglione.
Team England, played by staff from Overbury, won the coveted trophy and accolade as the first champions of the Mental Health World Cup. Team Jamaica, played by staff from Morgan Lovell, fought for their place in the final, and finished second.
“Next year we’re going to make it bigger and better,” said Gaglione. “We’ve had to turn away teams this year, so we’re hoping to increase the tournament to 32 teams and raise even more money for CALM and increase awareness.”
Key results:
- Winner: Team England (played by staff from Overbury plc)
- Runner up: Team Jamaica (played by staff from Morgan Lovell)
- Top Fundraiser: Team South Korea (played by staff from Brown & Carroll London)
- Player of the Tournament: Chris Head, Team England
- Top Goalkeeper: Scott Howard, Team England
- Golden Boot: Stoyan Todorov, Team Jamaica
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