Sussex CCC have become the first professional sports club in the World to launch their own online mental health and wellbeing platform for the community.

The Sussex Cricket Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub was launched this morning by Sussex and England’s Sarah Taylor, who has contributed to the platform.

The hub is a free online resource, which was developed in partnership with Frog Systems and with the support of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Taylor, who launched the system this morning said: “I know from my own experiences how helpful it is to share how we’re feeling when it comes to looking after our mental wellbeing.

“Sussex’s new platform is a wonderful way of taking the power of shared experience and using it to give as many people as possible support and hope.

“With all the challenges of the last year and this current lockdown, there couldn’t be a better time for an innovation like this.

“I’m proud to have shared my experiences on the platform alongside so many other people from all walks of life. I’m sure the hub is going to make a big difference.”

It includes features such as the ‘Champions Cinema’ which is a collection of videos of 60 seconds or less where people from Sussex CCC and beyond share their experiences from an A to Z of topics that can impact or help with our mental health and wellbeing.

The hub free to use by anybody with an internet connection and requires no registration, ensuring complete anonymity for users.

The platform came to life after a Sussex Cricket working group, chaired by their club president, Sir Rod Aldridge, was tasked with finding ways in which the club could play a prominent role in making a meaningful and long-lasting contribution to addressing issues brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sussex’s Club president, Sir Rod Aldridge said: “We are extremely proud to be breaking new ground as the first sports club in the world to support its community in this way.

“We have long been able to count on people’s support and we’re delighted to be offering some support back in an area that is so important, particularly now.

“It was felt with our connectivity across the entire spectrum of age, gender, background and personal circumstances that Sussex Cricket is ideally placed to reach out to our supporters and wider community at such a challenging time.

“The Sussex Cricket Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub, with a seal of approval from the NHS, harnesses the power of shared experience – so vital when it comes to addressing our mental health - and provides an innovative and accessible ‘one-stop shop’ for people to easily access support across a huge range of topics. I hope people find it useful.”