Written by Menswear Style in Grooming on the 17th January 2019

This coming Monday (21st Jan 2019) marks a day widely claimed to be the most depressing day of the year – leading British barbershop, Murdock London, are partnering with mental health charity, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), to help change the culture and stigma associated with discussing men’s mental health and to combat male suicide.

With 12 lives lost every day, suicide remains the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. Research from CALM has revealed that 84% of men bottle up their emotions, and are much less likely than women to consult a friend or family member if they’re going through a tough time, let alone reach out to a trained professional.

Many men feel more comfortable opening up to someone in a relaxed setting who sits outside of their social circle. In partnering with CALM, Murdock London have made it their priority to make their barbershops an open space for discussion; training their barbers in Mental Health First Aid which enables them to recognise the signs if a client is struggling with their mental health and understand how to listen, talk, and refer them to CALM for further support if necessary.

Simon Gunning, CEO of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), said: “Murdock are an exciting, socially-conscious brand and we’re delighted to be partnering with them. Suicide remains the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, but working with brands like Murdock allows us to continue supporting men who may be going through difficult times in their lives. CALM works to create positive cultural change and with Murdock, the barber's chair is the perfect environment to start a conversation that might just save a life.”

CALM’s helpline currently takes in excess of 7,000 calls a month, each one costing £8 to answer. To match this, Murdock London are curating a CALMxMURDOCK gift set from their clean-label range, with £8 of each sale being donated to CALM in the form of a potentially life-saving call. £1 of every in-store service will also be added to this donation.

With quotes from Simon Gunning we take a look at the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) x Murdock London Mental Health First Aid Training Initiative.