Community Wellbeing
Jan 2026 : Attention All Surrey Clubs,
In line with one of the key objectives of Surrey Rugby, we are very pleased to report that the first Mental Health First Aider course has been successfully delivered. The objective is to ensure every member club in Surrey has at least one mental health first aider available in-house, although two would be even more desirable. Whilst we know that some Club members are already practicing in this field, we are continuing to fully sponsor courses to make the appropriate training available to all who would benefit from it, and have teamed up with MHFA England® who will lead the training. We are also working in conjunction with the Seb Adeniran-Olule Foundation who will be focussing on first aiders covering the age-grade game.
The training is effectively the equivalent of physical first aid training, and provides people with the skills and confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions, to start a conversation and effectively to guide a person towards the right support, be that self-help or professional services. It is not, though, a replacement for professional medical advice and support.
By completing the training, candidates will gain:
· A deeper understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect people’s wellbeing
· Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
· The confidence to step in and support someone in the workplace by guiding them to appropriate support
· Three years access to the MHFAider Support App® with 24/7 digital support
The first cohort contained representatives from 10 different clubs, and below is an example of their feedback:
· I would recommend this course. As I was attending on behalf of a rugby club it was great to have Nick to be able to translate and give us scenarios in how we would/could apply our training.
· Nick was a very good and humanistic facilitator.
· Nick was absolutely amazing! He really knew how to tailor the course to the individuals and left you feeling very confident.
· Thank you!!
· The course is not for everyone due to its nature. But I would highly recommend to those who have an interest
There will be a choice of two courses for the next offering. As we are very conscious of club and other commitments, one will be over two days at Esher RFC on 17th and 19th February from 9am until around 4.30pm, and the other will be on Wednesday evenings for four weeks on 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th February from around 6.30pm. This is flexible and to suit the participants, so could also include weekends if preferred.
To reiterate, all of the training costs (c.£350pp) will be covered by Surrey Rugby so please get in touch with me with your name, club and contact details, indicating which course you would like to attend. Places for each course are limited, (maximum for the Esher is 16, and 12 candidates for the online course) so please do contact me as soon as possible to avoid missing this offer.
If you have any questions, please do let me know as we really hope for maximum take-up for this exceptionally important learning opportunity.
Thanks and all the best,
Bruno Plaskow
(m) 07989 494162 email:
Oct 2025 : Attention All Surrey Clubs,
By completing the training, candidates will gain:
– A deeper understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect people’s wellbeing
– Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
– The confidence to step in and support someone in the workplace by guiding them to appropriate support
– Three years access to the MHFAider Support App® with 24/7 digital support
The first cohort is planned to begin on November 25th 2025. The course can be hosted at a club in a two consecutive days classroom environment of 8 hours per day, or an online structure of 4 x 4 hour sessions spread over a two week period.