PCGamesN’s parent company Network N has partnered with Safe in Our World, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about mental health concerns in the gaming community and promoting positive change in the wider game industry. The charity was established in 2019 by veterans across the gaming world, and has a mission to “eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, to make it a natural topic of discussion, and to promote the dialogue surrounding mental health so people are not afraid to reach out for help if they need it.”
Starting with its first initiative, the BAFTA award-winning Fractured Minds, last year, which explores anxiety and mental health issues through an artistic puzzle game, the charity continues to grow. SiOW brought on board Dr. Jo Twist OBE, CEO of UKIE, long-time industry advocate and Take This board member, Kate Edwards, and even The Witcher himself – Geralt of Rivia’s voice actor, Doug Cockle – as patrons earlier this year.
As part of its mission, the charity calls on the game industry to “lead by example; to really embrace the subject of mental health in the workplace and commit resources toward training key staff members about mental health issues.”
It’s currently working on ‘Mental Health in the Video Game Workplace’ guidelines for companies to build into their day-to-day operations, which should be complete in the coming months.
“We are proud to be working with the talented team at Safe In Our World,” Phil Jones, Network N global account manager and mental health first aider, says, “to drive awareness that, for anyone experiencing mental health issues, help is available.”
If you want to read more about the excellent work the charity does, and what it’s got in store for the year ahead – and beyond – be sure to take a look at its website here.
Safe in Our World also has a support page here offering information and advice (put together using NHS and Patient.info content with permission) on a wide range of mental health topics “to help shine some light on some of the mental health-related terms you may encounter as part of your own struggles, as well as provide more information about some of the topics that are often discussed or felt among individuals struggling with mental illness”.