Safe In Our World Welcomes New Staff and Trustees during Mental Health Awareness Month

This mental health awareness month, Safe In Our World announces a series of new initiatives and proud milestones to continue its charter of raising vital awareness for the charity and mental health during May for Mental Health Awareness Month.

This year’s theme of “Together for Mental Health” is one that rings loud and true within the games industry, known for bringing people together through the love of games and accepting communities of all types. 

Leading the way is the ‘Play Your Way’ Campaign, encouraging gamers to play the games that mean the most to them whilst raising funds for the charity’s future initiatives. Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, Safe In Our World will be delivering talks, facilitating discussions and initiating conversations around mental health specifically within the industry.

Following the success and response to the delivery of mental health training to 200 Community Managers, Safe In Our World have committed to train 150 more by the end of 2022. This is just one of the many ways the charity is committing to make positive change within the industry.  Since the launch of the #LevelUpMentalHealth campaign in May 2020, the charity has united the industry with its drive for the removal of stigma around mental health and ensure gamers and teams can find the right support. Now over 100 of the biggest gaming companies have joined to forward the charity’s mission and ongoing activities.

Amidst such turbulent times globally Safe In Our World has taken a proactive approach to offer a Crisis Hub which offers targeted resources to support those affected by crisis.  It offers help, support and guidance to those affected during this difficult time.  The charity wishes to thank Embracer Group, Koch Media and Form for making this hub possible to those in need. 

“The world remains a tough place to be in, which speaks to the ongoing need of taking care of mental health needs,” said Leo Zullo, Safe In Our World Co-Founder & Chairperson. “Our industry continues to show its resilience, strength and support for those in need through our unified love of games and community, which is why Safe In Our World is growing and further aiding the industry, gamers and all those around. It has become even more important to maintain good mental health, and help those who need it. This year’s ‘together’ theme couldn’t be more indicative of our industry.”

Safe In Our World also announces the appointment of two new members of staff as it expands its actions and further commits to its global mission. Benn Wiebe joins as the Strategy and Corporate Partnerships Officer and comes with vast experience as a social impact strategist and TV producer who has lived across the United States, Denmark, and the UK.  Sky Tunley-Stainton takes the role of Partnerships and Training Officer who will focus on expanding the #LevelUpMentalHealth campaign to provide even greater support and training. 

Benn Wiebe and Sky Tunley Stainton join Safe In Our World as the newest Team members.

The charity is also pleased to announce and welcome the joining of four new Trustees; Suneet Sharma, a legal professional with experience working with the Associated Press, BBC and currently SEGA; Alex Boucher, Co-Founder of Game Dev Heroes and Analog fanzine; Ian Harman, an experienced chartered accountant and currently Finance Director at Beat Capital Partners; and Gem Abdeen, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives at Media Molecule. The new Trustees will guide the charity’s output, help deliver the mission and leverage support from within the industry. 

Alex Boucher, Suneet Sharma, Gem Abdeen and Ian Harman join the Safe In Our World Trustee Board.

Zullo further said, “We are proud to grow our charity with these new additions, who each bring their unique  perspective and experiences, while sharing the same passion and commitment of everyone, for raising mental health awareness in our industry. Together, we will continue to grow our charity and charter our programs to serve the needs of our global community.” 

According to the WHO, global suicide deaths amounted to over 700,000 in 2019 with men dying at about twice the rates among women. Research from the Wellcome Trust in 2020 shows across the world, 92% of people consider mental health as important or more important than physical health for overall well being, and around one in five people said that they had, at some point, experienced anxiety or depression. With those statistics in mind, coupled with the passion of all those involved, Safe In Our World continues its commitment to raise awareness and offer assistance to gamers and the industry alike.