THIS Sunday footballers from across North Wales will gather in Pwllheli to take part in a seven-a-side tournament in aid of the DPJ Foundation.

The foundation was set up to help farmers facing mental health issues. The tournament, at Pwllheli Rugby Club, will raise awareness of the foundation and its work, whilst also raising funds the charity.

Friends Marc Jones and Dafydd Jones, from Pwllheli, wanted to do something to appeal to men in the area. They think a seven-a-side football tournament fits the bill.

This meant having to source all the equipment that would be needed to put on the event and also turning to the community for support, such as donations to their fundraising page (gofund.me/61d54654)

Marc said: “As a community, we wanted to do something to help people know that there is support available if you are suffering with poor mental health and that you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. We came up with the idea of a football tournament as this would bring people together whilst raising funds for the DPJ Foundation which is a charity that is there to help people who need it.”

Dafydd added: “We are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from our community and the interest that has been shown in the event. We initially thought we might get a handful of teams wanting to take part – and we have 32 teams entered! That presented us with a bit of a challenge in getting hold of enough goals and bibs, but both of these have been donated to us through sponsorship as have raffle prizes. We are grateful to the Pwllheli Rugby Club for hosting the event and allowing us to put on some food and music in the evening. We were really pleased that Bwncath agreed to get involved and we are looking forward to a great day that will bring the community together. We wanted to raise awareness of mental health in the community and the need to speak up - we feel that we have definitely done that.”

The tournament, which starts at 11am (spectators are allowed) will raise funds for the DPJ Foundation, a mental health charity that was established five years ago in Pembrokeshire following the death by suicide of Daniel Picton-Jones. Since then, the charity has expanded to deliver mental health awareness training and a 24/7 confidential helpline that can be accessed by phone or text called “Share the Load”. The DPJ Foundation also provides free counselling to people within the agricultural community when they need it and where they need it.

Kate Miles, charity manager of the DPJ Foundation said: “we are so pleased to be able to support Marc, Dafydd and the team with the football tournament to show the people of Penllyn that help is available and is easy to access. We are here to help with anything that worries you no matter how big or small. If you do not feel like yourself, are going through a challenging time in a relationship, feeling alone or isolated, trying to deal with bereavement, grieving or anything else that worries you, if it’s a small or big issue, we can help. Do not think you are alone. We are here to talk, to help, every hour of the day, every day of the year. And we won’t judge you or your situation.

"Throughout the pandemic period, we have all been isolating, not seeing the people who we care about. This has been difficult, especially for farmers who only see some friends or family members once a year in an agricultural show, in the local pub or in an annual market. It has been two years since we caught up with some, and as we all know, a great deal can change within two years. Starting to go back to reality and see people again can be really overwhelming for some people, whilst others can’t wait to return to normal. We hope that by supporting events like this we can help people to ease back in to getting together.

"We are so pleased to see the community in Pwllheli pulling together to help break the stigma around talking about mental health and suicide and encouraging people to talk.”

The message from everyone involved with the tournament is that if you are struggling, feeling low or there is something worrying you, whether it’s to do with your family, relationships, loneliness, workload or something else, don’t be ashamed of asking for help. You are important, there are people who want to help you, please speak to someone.To donate to the fundraising page, visit https://gofund.me/61d54654