In 2018, a collaboration between Football Shirt Collective and INARIA led to a limited-release football shirt being produced as part of the Your First Football Shirt launch and the shirt was so popular that it sold out in a day.
So, due to COVID-19 and the impact across society, a limited number of shirts will be re-released, with all the profits going to the leading suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
CALM is leading a Movement Against Suicide — offering life-saving services, provoking national conversation and bringing people together to empower everyone to reject living miserably and stand together against suicide.
On average, 125 people in the UK take their own lives every week, with 75% of all suicide in the UK being male. CALM runs a free and anonymous helpline and webchat service from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year. CALM takes 12,000 calls and web chats every month, and in 2019, directly prevented 588 suicides.
The shirt, which is being produced by Football Shirt Collective and brought to life by kit manufacturers INARIA to support the charity, has 84 rhombi/squares to represent the 84 men who take their own life each week in the UK (as of 2018) along with 84 on the back and the CALM patch on the sleeve.
While the 84 shirt is not available for purchase just yet, it is available for pre-order here in the Football Shirt Collective marketplace for £49.99 and will be ready to ship from June.
Speaking on the shirt release, the founder of Football Shirt Collective Mike Maxwell said: “At times like this when everyone is stuck at home and people are more isolated than normal, charities like CALM need our support more than ever.
“We are really proud of The 84 shirt and by doing a re-release we hope more people can enjoy it and more money can be raised for CALM”.
Alongside CALM’s life-saving anonymous helpline, the charity aims to create more action across society against suicide through multi-award winning campaigns like Project 84, which succeeded in getting millions talking and the government appointing the UK’s (and world’s) first Minister for Suicide Prevention.
CALM also brings people together with collective action around interest points like running, football and art to drive cultural change and empower communities to better support the mental health and wellbeing of themselves and those around them.
Simon Gunning, the CEO of CALM, echoed the sentiments of Maxwell: “Once again we’re delighted to have teamed up with The Football Shirt collective.
“In these unprecedented, uncertain times, CALM’s life-saving services are needed more than ever, it’s therefore vital that we continue to connect with each other through our shared love of football and support the CALM helpline services which have seen a 37% increase in demand in the past couple of weeks”.
