CALM Scoops Double Win at IPC Media & Guardian Charity Awards

The suicide prevention work of CALM has been recognised with two high profile media awards in the space of 24 hours.

On Monday CALM - the Campaign Against Living Miserably - was voted as charity of the year for 2013 by staff at leading consumer magazine and digital publisher IPC Media. Then today the organisation was one of five charities honoured at the Guardian Charity Awards 2012.

“Everyone at CALM is totally delighted with this news,” said Jane Powell, Director of CALM. “Suicide is one of society’s last taboos and it has been tough raising the issue and raising funds over the last few years, despite the fact that suicide is the single biggest killer of young men in the UK. These awards are totally unexpected opportunities for us and we’re determined to make the most of them. We are all really looking forward to building upon this success in the year ahead.” 

Staff at IPC Media selected CALM as its 2013 charity of the year following a two-week voting process in which they were invited to choose from four organisations shortlisted by the publishing giant’s charity selection committee.

Lois Duguid of the IPC Media charity selection committee said: “We had a record number of people voting this year, emphasising how highly our employees value supporting charities through volunteering and participating in fund-raising activities. CALM is a very small charity started on minimum funding, so it’s great that we will be able to make a difference to an organisation dealing with life or death issues in the most direct sense.”

The Guardian Charity Awards seek to honour five small to medium sized charities that are making a significant contribution to improving social wellbeing in the UK, and give a much needed boost to such organisations that often get overshadowed by bigger players in the voluntary sector. Lynne Berry, a judge of the Guardian Charity Awards said: “CALM grabbed our attention from the start. Their entry showed just how shocking the figures relating to men’s experiences of mental health are and they have successfully helped to make mental illness widely understood through a clever use of branding and media.”

CALM exists to prevent male suicide, the leading killer of young men in the UK. It is championed by musicians, DJs, comedians, artists and poets who lend their voices, passion and creativity to CALM, and enable them successfully to reach a young male audience. Hundreds of suicides could be prevented every year if only men felt that they could access help when they needed it, and not be seen as ‘less of a man’.

CALM offers immediate support to men who are down or in a crisis, as well as challenging a culture that prevents men from seeking help, and pushing for organisational change so that those seeking help receive better support. The CALM helpline and texting service is free, confidential and anonymous, running seven evenings a week from 5pm to midnight. Website www.thecalmzone.net is aimed specifically at men and contains articles to inspire, support and entertain as well as promoting the activities of our supporters.  CALM are currently commissioned to actively promote it’s services in Merseyside and London, but the helpline is available nationally.

CALM Helpline details:

Nationwide: 0800 58 58 58

London: 0808 802 58 58, Text: CALM1 to 07537 404717

Merseyside: Text CALM2 to 07537 404717

5pm – midnight, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

Calls & texts are anonymous and confidential.  Calls to the helpline are free from landlines, payphones and most mobile networks.  Calls won’t show up on your phone bill.  We don’t charge for texts, but networks might.

To donate to CALM go to www.justgiving.com/CALM