Bearded Fishermen Charity

the cause aims to help people, families, and communities break the cycle of mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts. in the busy gainsborough-based headquarters, you can feel the sense of comradery as the team gets to work. made up entirely of volunteers, the charity offers 1:1 sessions with counsellors, and operates a call centre where they answer calls from people all over the country looking for help. in 2021 alone, the volunteers answered more than 6000 calls on their main support line. using a traffic light system, the calls are categorised in terms of urgency, and the team are well trained to deal with emergency calls. operating 24 hours a day, the centre works closely with local emergency services to respond quickly in times of crisis. the charity was established in 2019 after the two founders lost a friend to suicide. rick roberts and mick leyland met thanks to their shared love of fishing. when one of their fellow fishermen took his own life, the men knew something ha