The British Grooms Association (BGA) has recently launched a new mental health initiative called Grooms Minds Online, a web based resource aimed at supporting mental health amongst grooms. The facilities include a mental wellbeing checker, self-help zone, video scripts and real life case studies to which anyone who is struggling with their mental health can relate.
The BGA has developed these online resources in response to its survey last year which revealed a worrying level of mental health problems amongst grooms. The BGA hopes their strong message of ‘You are not alone’ will become both invaluable and life changing.
Sylvia Bruce, a mental health in the workplace consultant, who helped develop the web pages commented “Grooms Minds is vitally important because it promotes the principle of talking mental health matters and encourages members’ mental health awareness and confidence.
In addition, it will enhance the profession, industry brand and reputation; aspiring to create more empathic, compassionate and supportive working environments thus attracting, engaging and retaining the best talent – surely a win/win for everyone involvedâ€.
The Grooms Minds online project, a valuable and timely initiative, has been generously supported by British Dressage, British Showjumping, British Eventing, the British Horse Society, the Pony Club and World Horse Welfare.
A short while after this announcement came the exciting news of the Big Mind Clipathon. On November 3rd a group of 10 amazing grooms will come together to attempt to create a new world record by clipping 100 horses in 12 hours, all whilst raising money for charity.
The Clipathon, which is led by groom Katy Barr, is aiming to help promote awareness of mental health issues and to raise money for the mental health charity, MIND.
British Grooms Association member Phill Snow is part of Katy’s team and says, “Katy did a clipathon last year and when she mentioned about doing it again this year it started to snowball into a group of 10 of usâ€.
If you’d like to follow the team’s progress on social media have a look at The Big MIND Clipathon Facebook page.
All of us at Espayo wish them the best of luck. Go Grooms!
