Senior Dispensing Assistant, Jamie Whiteley, is holding an awareness event this week for the public and colleagues, after experiencing the loss of family and friends to male suicide.

Jamie works in the Inpatient Pharmacy and is currently completing a Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician course to become a fully qualified pharmacy technician. Part of his course involves carrying out a Public Health Campaign.

Jamie said: “For my campaign, I have decided to focus on men's mental health and male suicide, as sadly over the past 10 years, me, my friends and my family have experienced the loss of friends and family members to male suicide.

“I want to help promote men's mental health and help demolish the stigma surrounding it and that men are weaker or less than a man if they show their emotions, which is still portrayed in society today.”

Jamie is holding a stall outside Rowlands Pharmacy at HRI this coming Wednesday, 27th November between 08:00 and 17:30. Do stop by and say hello to him and find out more if you’re passing.

He’s also organising a sky dive for a future date, with funds to go to men's mental health charity, Andy’s Man Club. So watch this space.

General Manager, Dominic Bryan, set up our Men’s Mental Health Group earlier this year after himself reaching out for support. He said: “I am really pleased to see Jamie is focusing on men’s mental health and male suicide for his campaign, although I'm saddened to learn of his personal experiences relating to this subject. This is the reality for most of us, having ourselves experienced issues relating to mental health and / or losing loved ones to suicide. This highlights the need to keep this subject at the top of our agenda and keep speaking out wherever possible to show our support to our male colleagues and men in our society generally.

"I want to personally thank Jamie for all of his hard work on this and I will be there on Wednesday to show my support and hope to see many of our colleagues engaging with his campaign.”