Project 14 is a group of people that aim to raise awareness and funds for mental health charities and services that can help local people across Barnsley and the Dearne Valley.
Our aim initial aims are:
• Promotion: Utilise community spaces for example sports clubs and community centres to promote help, advice and services available across our local area for anyone in need of mental health support.
• Fundraising: Organise and use community based fundraising events to raise money to support local projects with a focus around mental health and wellbeing. For example support the creation of a crisis card that can be distributed across Barnsley’s communities. We would also like to fundraise to make it possible for mental health first aiders to be available across our communities.
• Awareness: Use social media to target specific groups that are affected by mental health - specific focus on men’s mental health.
Our Story.
In late October 2016 we lost our friend Ashley David Salkeld – Selly – far too soon. He was 25 years old. He was larger than life; the constant centre of attention everywhere he went and his wicked sense of humour was impossible not to laugh with, laugh at and love. However behind the joker was a broken lad that had personal battles linking to his mental health. His death came as a huge shock to people he loved and our close-knit community. Tragically, Selly has become part of one of the most horrendous public health statistics – 76% of suicides in the UK are male. The biggest killer of men under the age of 45 is suicide.
Since we lost our friend, promoting mental health services, awareness and well-being has been paramount to us. Through our gatherings what has become apparent is that there is an incredible drive to ensure that our community is supported. In the last year and a half, our community in the Dearne Valley has been significantly affected by suicide and mental health. Although mental health services exist across our town, what needs to be encouraged is something incredibly simple. Being frank, open and honest about mental health will help so many in need who are being strong yet silent.

This is why we want to drive a movement forward where we use community clubs, groups and spaces to raise awareness around mental health. We would like to signpost people towards appropriate healthcare and advice in the hope that we can support someone who could be at the point of crisis.