Wigan Warriors rugby club creates community garden as ‘safe haven’ to help combat suicide
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
WIGAN, England (AP) — Rugby League world champion Wigan Warriors has created a “safe haven for players, staff, fans, and the wider public” at its Robin Park Arena to combat suicide, the club said Wednesday.
Wigan icon Terry Newton took his own life in 2010 and a community garden has been created at the club’s training ground to commemorate the player.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts.
___
Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski, who was a close friend of Newton, said the town, which is around 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Manchester in the north of England, has among the highest rates of suicide in the country.
“As a cornerstone of our community, we had both the responsibility and the duty to act,” he said. “Terry Newton was more than a player; he was the heart of our community, a teammate, a friend, and an inspiration. We will use his legacy to drive us to confront this issue head-on.”
The garden was opened Wednesday to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day.
It features a “Wall of Hope,” which has messages from players, with fans and members of the public encouraged to add their own this month.
“This initiative is about raising awareness, supporting one another, and ensuring no one feels alone,” Radlinski said. “It is also our way of honoring Tez — giving his family, friends, and former teammates the chance to remember the man who always had our backs, and reminding ourselves to look out for each other in the same way.”
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby