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#### **Introduction**

We believe that esports societies and Gaming Guilds have a unique opportunity to foster positive mental health within their communities. To support this, Play Aid is offering micro grants to help societies and guilds organize events that raise awareness about mental health while providing valuable training to their members.

#### **Objective**

Our goal is to empower esports societies and Gaming Guilds to create engaging and impactful events that promote mental health and well-being. By partnering with us, your society or guild can contribute to a critical cause while enhancing the skills and knowledge of your members. Some of the world's top esports teams have already taken our training and we'd love for your team to be next.

#### **Grant Opportunities**

As if receiving **free** training from some of the world's leading experts on mental health and performance isn't enough, Play Aid is offering 10 grants of up to 100GBP/115EUR to help you put on an event for your society or guild. The amount awarded will be decided by our team and based on criteria such as the impact of the event. These grants can be used to cover event-related costs such as:

*   **Prizes for participants**

*   **Marketing and promotion**

*   **Event equipment and materials**

We want to make it easy for you to host an event that not only entertains but also educates and empowers your community.

#### **Event Ideas**

We encourage creativity in your event planning, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

*   **Mental Health Awareness Tournament**: Host a gaming tournament where participants also engage in discussions or workshops on mental health.

*   **Wellness Game Night**: Organize a casual gaming event that incorporates mental health tips and resources.

*   **Panel Discussion and Play**: Hold a panel discussion on mental health in gaming, followed by a friendly competition or gaming session.

*   **Cross Guid/Society Clash:** Invite another society or guild to join in and widen your knowledge and support even further.

#### **Training Requirements**

As part of the grant program, we ask that each participating society or guild to follow some of the top teams in esports and commit to the following:

*   **One Member**: At least one representative from your society or guild must complete the **Player CARE Coach Educator** training. This course is designed to equip leaders with the tools they need to support mental health in gaming communities. The Player CARE Coach Educator training takes around 4 hours to complete and also requires the training of others. 

*   **12-16 Members**: A minimum of 12 members from your society or guild must complete the **Player CARE Coach** training, which focuses on practical strategies for maintaining mental health and well-being in a gaming environment. The online Player CARE Coach training takes 1-hour to complete and is perfect for team captains and mental health conscious teammates. 

We expect each society or guild to commit at least a portion of their event to collectively engaging with the training. This allows the Player CARE Coach Educator to meet the demands of their training, whilst also making for a more enjoyable and interactive training experience for everyone. Coach Educators have two options: (1) if they are confident in the content they can deliver a live workshop, or (2) if they need a bit more time, they can adopt a hybrid approach utilising our on demand version of the Player CARE Coach training as a watch party while facilitating the interactive components only. 

Please note: Attendance is measured by the successful completion of pre and post surveys via our independent evaluation partner, First Person Consulting.

#### **How to Apply**

Applying for a grant is simple! Just fill out our online application [form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD2tFTzTmoZTNvUWZus60VlkpvecQ2U1N6mpxGiZz22abzfA/viewform?usp=sf_link), where you’ll be asked to provide:

*   **Basic Information**: Your society/guild name and primary contact details.

*   **Event Description**: A brief overview of the event you plan to host.

*   **Training Commitment**: Your commitment to ensuring the required training is completed by your members.

#### **Support and Resources**

We’re here to help you every step of the way. Upon approval, we are happy to support you with (optional):

*   **Marketing Materials**: Templates for posters, social media posts, and other promotional content.

*   **Event Planning Resources**: Checklists and guides to help you organize and execute a successful event.

*   **Dedicated Support**: A point of contact within our team to answer any questions and provide additional support as needed.

#### **Why Participate?**

By taking part in this initiative, your society or guild will:

*   **Promote Positive Mental Health**: Help your members and the broader gaming community learn about and prioritize mental well-being.

*   **Gain Valuable Skills**: Through our training, your members will be better equipped to support themselves and others.

*   **Strengthen Community Bonds**: Hosting events is a great way to bring your community together around a meaningful cause.

#### **Deadline**

Applications close on the 13th of September at 7pm (BST).

Events must be completed by the 13th of December 2024 to receive payment.


September 2024 Funding Opportunity

We are pleased to offer up to ten grants to esports societies and gaming guilds based in the UK, Ireland and Australia.

Each grant includes training to become a Play Aid Player CARE Coach Educator (i.e., someone who is qualified to deliver Play Aid's Psychological First Aid training), funding for a small community event or tournament, and prizes. The total value of the grant is up to £3000 (£2700 for the training and £300 for event/tournament and prizes).

It is hoped that esports societies and gaming guilds will use this as an opportunity to embed psychological first aiders in all their teams moving forwards.

To apply for the grant, please email [john@playaid.net ](mailto:john@playaid.net)with your name, the esports society or gaming guild you are representing, how many people you expect will take part in your community event or tournament, and any additional details you feel may help the awarding panel select your application.

The funding call is open until midnight on the 31st of May and events must be completed by the 30th of September 2024. 


Funding Opportunity for Esports Societies and Guilds

Ireland Esports and Play Aid Forge Strategic Partnership to Elevate Esports Psychological Wellbeing Standards  

Ireland Esports, proudly announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Play Aid, a renowned mental health non-profit platform supported by Men’s Health Charity Movember.  This strategic partnership marks a significant step forward in prioritising the mental health of esports  players nationwide.  

Under the terms of the agreement, Ireland Esports and Play Aid will collaborate closely to implement  innovative psychological well-being programs, educational initiatives, competitions, and resources  designed to support the mental health of esports athletes. This collaboration aims to embed  psychological first aiders within esports organisations and facilitate closer relationships between  those in the Irish esports community.  

Speaking about the partnership, Steve Daly, President of Ireland Esports, expressed enthusiasm for  the collaboration, stating, "We are thrilled to partner with Play Aid in our shared mission to promote  wellness within the esports industry. By combining our expertise and resources, we aim to empower  players with the support they need to thrive both in and out of the game."  

Play Aid’s Dr John Mills echoed these sentiments, saying, "At Play Aid, we are passionate about  enhancing the wellbeing of esports athletes. This partnership with Ireland Esports represents an  exciting opportunity to further our mission and make a positive impact on the lives of players across  Ireland."  

Through this collaborative effort, Ireland Esports and Play Aid seek to set a new standard for  wellbeing within the esports industry, fostering a culture of positive mental health and social  connection that benefits players, teams, and the broader esports community.  

About Ireland Esports:  

Ireland Esports is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of esports in Ireland. Committed to promoting inclusivity, professionalism, education and pathways to empower talent  within the esports community. 

About Playaid:  

Playaid is an international non-profit using the power of play to enhance men’s mental health and wellbeing. 


Play Aid Partners with Esports Ireland

Older man with arm on young man’s shoulder: image owned by Movember

Launched in 2020, the DSCC was aimed at identifying strategies that will strengthen the social connections of men who are struggling with isolation and poor mental health, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns.

We were looking for fresh, innovative technology-based ideas to address the problem of loneliness, isolation and improve social connectedness in men and strengthen their overall mental health. For this challenge, we prioritised men who were at greater risk of social isolation because of where they live, their socio-economic status or cultural backgrounds.

**Gamers vs. Depression delivered by Play Aid CIC**

[This project](https://gamersvsdepression.org/) promotes mental health awareness, social connections, and wellbeing for men (ages 16-34) in the gaming community across the UK, Ireland, and Australia. In addition to organising events and activities to foster connection, the project will involve training Psychological First Aiders with knowledge about the community and embedding them within esports teams to provide psychological support and promote mental wellbeing to team members.

Ivy Lim-Carter, Director, Social Connections, Mental Health & Suicide Prevention at Movember, says: “We’re excited to be embarking on the second phase of this challenge. We have selected 5 projects — of which Gamers vs. Depression is one — which have shown strong outcomes to move forward to second phase - implementation and evaluation over the next two years.

“We want to determine and test whether these projects will work in real world settings and if they strengthen social connections and improve mental health outcomes. We’re now looking forward to seeing how these projects develop and positively impact the lives of boys and men and their communities.”


Play Aid Project Selected for Movember Funding

The UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC), a collective of UK-based esports teams, has announced a collaboration involving psychological first aiders.The UKETC was formed in 2021 with the aim of progressing and growing the UK esports industry, and representing the voice of teams within wider industry discussions. Now it’s backed a Movember-funded mental health initiative, co-created alongside gaming not-for-profit Play Aid, which will see the esports teams have physical first aiders.Fnatic, Resolve Esports, MNM Gaming, Excel Esports, Vexed Gaming, Endpoint, Method, and Manchester City Esports have psychological first aiders trained within their teams.

> “We believe that every esports team should have access to psychological first aid and we hope that this collaboration will help to encourage other teams in the space to take the mental health of their staff and athletes seriously.”Jeff Simpkins, UKETC

They all ‘commit to encouraging other esports organisations – of all levels – to take Play Aid’s free psychological first aid course’, as part of the Gamers vs. Depression programme with Movember. Play Aid is a mental health non-profit dedicated to promoting wellbeing in the gaming community, and is supported by Movember, the global charity committed to changing the face of men’s health. With Movember’s funding, Play Aid is providing free Psychological First Aid training for the gaming community. 

The training will equip team members with the skills and knowledge to support players who may be experiencing a psychological crisis. Mental health in esports has been an ongoing topic over the years. The competitive nature of esports can of course cause stress, anxiety and burnout, among other psychological issues. The benefits of psychological first aiders in esports ‘By having a psychological first aider within every team, players can receive immediate support and guidance during a crisis, helping them to navigate their emotions and build resilience,’ the UKETC said in a press release. 

“The scale and influence of esports means that it will play an important part in Movember’s mission,” said Dan Cooper, Director of Innovation at Movember.  “By working closely with esports teams and engaging with the community we can highlight the importance of mental health, self-care and social connections – and to continue to inspire men to take action when it comes to their mental and physical health.”

“We are thrilled to partner with teams within the UKETC to promote the importance of psychological first aid in esports teams”, said Dr John Mills, Play Aid’s Managing Director. “By providing free Psychological First Aid training, we hope to empower esports teams across the world to better support their players’ mental health and wellbeing.”

“We’re delighted to support Play Aid in their mission to promote mental health and wellbeing in the gaming and esports communities,” said Jeff Simpkins, Vice Chair of the UKETC. “We believe that every esports team should have access to psychological first aid and we hope that this collaboration will help to encourage other teams in the space to take the mental health of their staff and athletes seriously.”



UKETC Esports Teams Add Psychological First Aiders

Supported by the Men’s Health Charity Movember, Gamers vs Depression (GVD) is a global mental health project that uses esports to teach gamers about the importance of mental health, self-care, and social connections.

Launched this week, Gamers vs Depression is aiming to establish whether esports can be used as a vehicle to deliver depression literacy programmes to gamers around the world.

Gamers vs Depression founder, Dr John Mills said “We want to equip gamers with knowledge around mental health disorders so they can better support each other.”

The organisation is currently conducting a closed beta test of its programme and looking for around 200 volunteers to give feedback.

In addition to their depression literacy programme, Gamers vs. Depression also provide access to resources to improve gaming performance, improve sleep hygiene, create positive exercise routines, maintain a nutritious diet, as well as a parents guide to supporting gamers. “Everything is free to access” says Dr Mills. 


Blog

September 2024 Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity for Esports Societies and Guilds

Play Aid Partners with Esports Ireland

Play Aid Project Selected for Movember Funding

UKETC Esports Teams Add Psychological First Aiders

Play Aid X Movember Announce New Agreement