Doncaster Rovers have unveiled their third kit for the 2018/19 season as part of a kit design process aimed at helping to raise awareness of mental health in Doncaster and beyond - with the winning look created by an 11-year-old fan.
The club, working with NHS Doncaster CCG, created a unique design competition, where children and young people from across the borough were invited to design Doncaster Rovers third kit for the current campaign. As part of the process, the design pack included a series of mental health messaging, provided by NHS Doncaster CCG, aimed at children and young people.
According to mental health charity Young Minds three children in every classroom have a mental health problem and only one in three young people with diagnosable mental health conditions currently able to access NHS treatment.
In addition to being advertised via official club channels, NHS Doncaster CCG and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) rolled out the campaign to local schools and their service users.
More than 300 children entered the competition and the winner, was local child, Nate Nisar, who entered the competition through his school.
Nate said: I went with the triangles because I wanted to choose a retro design, with the colours representing emotions.
"People with mental health issues can be feeling lots of different emotions, represented by the variety of different colours."
Rovers players Andy Butler, James Coppinger, John Marquis, Matty Blair and Tommy Rowe picked the final design.
Club captain Andy said: "It is great that the club have done a kit to raise awareness of a good cause for the third year in a row.
"We had a few options put in front of us, and this one stood out. It is colourful, bright and something that has never been done before - we went round the team and they all thought this stood out and it'll be an honour to wear it."
The third kit will be sponsored by mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), an award winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide which is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. CALM have been given the shirt sponsorship by LNER, the club's current shirt sponsor.
CALM chief executive Simon Gunning added:"We are extremely grateful for the partnership LNER and DRFC have put together, and are very excited Rovers will be wearing this kit with our logo on the front for a game.
"Things like this really help us raise awareness, especially around our helpline which is open form 5pm until midnight seven days a week. LNER and Doncaster Rovers are taking the issue of mental health seriously, and doing it in a great way centred around sport."
Figures from the Office of National Statistics show there were 85 suicides in Doncaster between 2015 and 2017.
In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain. Of these, 75% were male and 25% were female. One person in 15 had made a suicide attempt at some point in their life.
The new kit will be available to pre-order from the December 17 and can be collected from January 42019.
To speak to CALM call 0800 58 58 58.
To speak to CAMHS Community Services Doncaster call 01302 796191.