Jordan Henderson and Roman Kemp open up on mental health
Jordan Henderson and Roman Kemp opened up on mental health in a Brentford video that puts the issue front and center ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week. Henderson reflected on the pressure he has dealt with throughout his career, while Kemp said one conversation changed - and saved - his life.
Brentford Benches
The conversation took place on one of Brentford's benches, part of a project that began with Michael installing a bench at the training ground to give players, coaches and staff a safe and confidential place to talk. This season, Brentford added a collection of benches in west London to encourage the local community to speak up about mental health.
Each bench carries information signposting to professional mental health support services and crisis support for people experiencing a mental health emergency. That turns a simple place to sit into a route toward help, not just a symbol of support.
Talking Is The Best Tactic
The video sits inside Brentford's Talking is the Best Tactic initiative, which uses the club and Brentford FC Community Sports Trust platforms and community outreach to raise awareness of suicide prevention measures. The initiative also pushes the message that conversation matters and encourages people who need help to seek it.
The Trust backs that message with free monthly drop-ins for mental health expertise and free support through BeeActive Football or Comedy for Thought sessions led by experienced talking therapists. Those options give local people more than a slogan; they give them a place to talk and a way to keep talking.
Premier League Weekend
Brentford is one of ten pilot clubs in the Premier League's Together Against Suicide programme, and this weekend all Premier League matches are dedicated to raising awareness of mental health. The league and clubs will use the period to promote positive conversations around mental wellbeing, with Brentford's video arriving as part of that wider push.
For anyone who sees the benches, the clubs' message is direct: use the signposting, use the drop-ins, and use the support on offer before a crisis deepens.
