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Date: 08/12/2016 | Ref. 655378
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Thursday 8th December 2016
Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
Omniplex Cinemas Get Behind IRUPA’s ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ Mental Wellbeing Campaign
8th December 2016: Omniplex cinemas have today announced their support for Irish Rugby Union Player’ Association’s (IRUPA) ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ mental wellbeing campaign in partnership with Zurich with the help of Ulster Rugby’s Tommy Bowe. Omniplex cinemas throughout the country are getting behind IRUPA’s ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ campaign by showing a montage of the Tackle Your Feelings videos ahead of films including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story from the 16th – 22nd December.
The Tackle Your Feelings video trailer features provincial and international rugby stars including former Ireland and Leinster rugby player, Shane Jennings; Ireland and Leinster front-row, Jack McGrath; Irish women’s player, Hannah Tyrrell; Connacht rugby player, Jake Heenan and Munster scrum-half, Cathal Sheridan who came forward this year to tell their own personal stories of the challenges they have faced off the pitch.
As part of the ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ campaign, Ulster Rugby star Tommy Bowe lent his support to a panel discussion and opened up about the challenges he faced returning from injury and dealing with the pressure of top flight rugby. The Monaghan man is thrilled to see Omniplex Cinemas lend their support: “It’s a campaign that I have really enjoyed being involved in and you can already see the difference it is making in society. IRUPA and Zurich have done a brilliant job breaking down the stigma of mental health and for Omniplex to support the campaign in this way is brilliant. Our hope is their help will further drive awareness of the campaign over the Christmas period.”
Tackle Your Feelings seeks to emphasise the importance of preventative measures in maintaining good mental wellbeing. By asking people to be honest with themselves about how they are feeling and to take appropriate action, the campaign aims to encourage people to resolve emotional challenges before they escalate into a crisis. The campaign website, www.tackleyourfeelings.com, hosts a number of practical resources to help people develop their emotional self-awareness and proactively work on their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Omar Hassanein, CEO, IRUPA, said: “IRUPA are delighted to work with Omniplex Cinemas on the Tackle Your Feelings campaign today. Their support allows us to reach a larger audience and hopefully make further inroads into breaking down stigma around mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing is something we place a lot of emphasis on as a players’ organisation, striving to both educate our members in this area and offer support services to help them be more proactive about looking after their own wellbeing.”
Elaine Hayes, who is driving Zurich's Corporate Responsibility agenda in Ireland said: “Zurich is proud to partner with IRUPA on the Tackle your Feelings campaign and we welcome the support of Omniplex cinemas for this important initiative. As a large employer in Ireland we’ve seen first-hand the positive difference that TYF can make; both in addressing the stigma of speaking about mental health and in encouraging people to proactively look after their mental wellbeing. We’re delighted to see the message reaching a wider audience with the involvement of Omniplex.”
Mark Anderson of Omniplex Cinemas commented: “Omniplex Cinemas are delighted to support IRUPA’s Tackle Your Feelings mental wellbeing campaign. So often mental wellbeing can be taken for granted, and we’re very proud that we can help by showcasing this trailer across our screens nationwide this December.”
‘Tackle Your Feelings’ is a three-year all island mental wellbeing campaign which sees national and international rugby stars come forward to tell their own personal stories of the issues they have faced off the pitch. All the players’ stories are emotively told in videos that are available to view on the website www.tackleyourfeelings.com
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Anne Smyth, Perry Smyth Communications, E: anne@perrysmyth.com; PH: 07966402460
Elaine Hayes from Zurich.
Editors Notes:
About IRUPA
The Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association (IRUPA) is the official Players' Union for professional rugby players in Ireland, irrespective of nationality. IRUPA is a non-profit making organisation owned by the players for the players. IRUPA aims to promote and protect the welfare of its members by endeavouring to safeguard their futures both on and off the pitch. IRUPA’s overarching vision is to make Ireland the best place in the world to play rugby. For more information log on to www.irupa.ie or on Twitter https://twitter.com/IRUPA
About Zurich
Zurich is one of Ireland’s leading insurance companies providing a wide range of general insurance and life insurance products and services. The company employs over 1,000 people across its locations in Dublin and Wexford.
Zurich in Ireland is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With more than 55,000 employees, the Group’s customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in more than 170 countries. The Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1872.
