Andrew Baker, who earlier this year rowed the Atlantic solo raising more than £18,000 for charity, is funding Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for members of sports clubs across the island.

Thirteen representatives from Manx sports clubs attended the first training session, given by St John Ambulance, at Vagabonds Rugby Club and the organisation’s headquarters over the weekend.

They were instructed by ambulance trainer Ian Gaynor for the two-day course, which provides participants with the tools to recognise the ’crucial warning signs’ of mental ill health and then guide people towards appropriate support.

St John Ambulance added the course teaches people how to start a supportive, non-judgemental conversation, assess the risk of suicide or self-harm, escalate to the appropriate emergency services (if necessary), maintain confidentiality as appropriate, and enable aiders to protect themselves while performing their role.

Each course costs £300 per person plus VAT.

An initiative to roll out the training across the island’s football clubs is being coordinated by the Isle of Man Football Association, following discussions with Adam Hudgeon from Reach IoM - one of the mental health charities which Mr Baker’s row raised money for.

Ally Vondy, an experienced MHFA trainer from charity Manx Minds, will also be giving training sessions at clubs in the future, in addition to St John Ambulance.

Manx advocate Mr Baker - who completed the 4,600-mile, three-month crossing in a 6.5-metre rowing boat in March - has titled the initiative ’inReach Mate’.

This is because he hopes that the push to get a mental health first aider into clubs will provide ’Someone you can reach out to and who is there for you to talk problems through, and point you in the right direction’.

It is also a nod to Reach IoM, whose logo adorned his boat. Mr Baker said that he hopes this will become a ’grassroots’ movement, which will keep going until there is at least one trained person in every sports club in the island.

So far, he said there has been great interest in the initiative, with ’lots of people keen to learn new skills to equip them with better assisting their clubs and community in regards to mental health’.

Speaking about the first training course, Mr Baker said: ’All those in attendance were people with kind and caring souls who gave up their weekend to learn about Mental Health First Aid.

’Each one is a hero in my eyes and I imagine they will go on to help people in their clubs and the community time after time.’

He also voiced his aspirations that the first aider programmes would serve as a platform through which the various Manx mental health charities could better collaborate with each other.

In addition to sports clubs, Mr Baker said he would like to see trained persons in other types of organisations, such as the Scouts, Women’s Institute, or community group Men in Sheds.

Another inReach Mate course will be held in July, and any members of sports club who wish to attend can email Mr Baker at [email protected].