Former Meath minor star leads Aussie suicide awareness initiative

Footballers from the Kimberley in Western Australia are kicking goals both on and off the field with a positive life programme, 'Alive and Kicking Goals Project', which they are planning to bring to Ireland with the help of former Meath footballer Joe Tighe. Like many young men from Ireland, Tighe headed for Australia with dreams of a better life, and the young Trim man has found his oasis in Western Australia where he works as a men's outreach officer in the local community and with aboriginals. Tighe, who won an All-Ireland MFC medal in 1992, is also involved with the local Broome Football Club and he has help arranged a tour by his local team to visit Ireland in September with the aim of highlighting the problem of suicide, both in Ireland and Australia. Before the Alive and Kicking Project, the young people of Western Australia had to cope with the suicide of friends in isolation, trying not to think about it too much. However, over a year ago, indigenous parents, some of whom had cut down family members from trees in their own backyards, approached Tighe to help them stop the devastation of young men's suicide. The Meath man agreed to volunteer his time and support. "If the young men could be the decision-makers on all matters, not me or the football club committee, then it can only be a good thing. I see this as leadership development," said Tighe. "We're a standard AFL club, we play in the West Kimberley Football League and the vast majority of the players are indigenous. Two years ago, we ran a programme on family violence and it has proved that the club are very proactive with regards to tackling indigenous issues. "Suicide is a major issue here. An indigenous male is three times more likely to commit suicide than a non-indigenous male. We planned a programme based on peer education, which is very effective and proven to have a greater impact," he added. "Our programme is unique in that it is being run through a football club. The club has over 100 members and over 24 players. There are several under-age teams and we have 10 players involved with the team that are aged between 18-25. "Bringing this group to Ireland is a major development for us. We are sure the lads will have a great time, but we will also bring a very important message and I hope we can have the support for everyone back home," said Tighe. The high rate of male suicide in the Kimberley region prompted the club to try and do something about it. Tristram Pigram, the team captain, says the players in his team are ideal role models for their community. "Everyone around this area is involved in sport. Being a senior football club, younger people look up to us. It is important that they can see us out there and doing good," he said. "Youth suicide in the region is quite major. Not many people really know about that, so for us to go out there and let them know that it is a problem is quite important. If people are aware, they can be more alert. Then if they see something that seems strange, they might take some action that could save someone's life." Every week after training, 10 of the young players stay back for the Alive and Kicking Goals programme. With each of them having lost someone close through suicide, they want to help prevent further deaths. They learn about 'peer education' and how to share knowledge with others in their age group and circle. Peer education is being used more in many areas, particularly youth issues, because it is seen to work. The programme also focuses on positive role modeling, plus there's stories about mental health issues each week. "I've had two uncles who took their own lives, and I've known others," added Tristram. "Knowing what I know now has opened my eyes to the problem. We help educate people about warning signs for suicide. "One of the main things to look out for is changes in mood and personality. Other warning signs are if someone you know is not going about their usual daily routine or if they're being unusually snappy or irritable. "If you are worried, you can help by having a quiet word to them. Bringing it out in public, in front of other people, is not necessarily a good thing to do. There are also phone lines you can call to get help if you need it." Sharing their knowledge and experience in Ireland will be another challenge, more challenging than swapping to Gaelic football rules. "Being an indigenous team from Broome will definitely attract a lot of attention," added Tristram. "We'll be going into schools to chat with kids about suicide prevention." A planned DVD of the team's work in suicide prevention, both in Broome and in Ireland, will be used to reach more young men in remote communities.