Safe In Our World Website Launched for World Mental Health Day

Safe In Our World website launched for World Mental Health Day 2019.

Today is October 10th, 2019 which is World Mental Health Day.

It’s not a day we celebrate. Instead it’s a day to create as much awareness for the millions of people suffering with mental illnesses. Sadly, it has become all too common in modern day. The number of vulnerable people affected has risen to through the use of social media and other technology platforms. It’s time to address this issue.

Form are immensely proud of all the projects that we design and produce. However the Safe In Our World website has been something that resonated with us and is extremely close to our hearts. I can’t think of a single person involved in this project who hasn’t been affected by mental illness in some way. Whether it was themselves, a family member or a close friend, everyone has a story which they could relate to. It has driven and inspired us to deliver this project above and beyond all expectations.

Founded by gaming industry veterans Leo Zullo, Neil Broadhead and Gareth Williams, Safe In Our World (SIOW) is a new charitable organisation. Its goals is to provide a support service for people who’s struggling with mental illness, specifically in the gaming community.

A walk down the memory lane

Gaming has always been a huge part of my own personal life. From my early days of gaming on a ZX81, crouched over a tiny screen and with a memory pack that invariably would fall out of its slot (this normally meant you would have to restart the game as there was no saves in those days), through to today with the most amazing games being developed by a billion dollar gaming industry. Gaming has come a long way and is now the largest entertainment industry in the world. With this increased size comes increased responsibility to its audience.

Given all the advance in technology over the years, some things however haven’t changed at all. Back in the 80’s I was the silent, awkward kid. I used gaming as an escapism from facing the real world and growing up. Fast forward a few decades to today, and we still find that there are millions of children, teens and even adults who play games for the same reason I used to. All are wishing to kill time, escape from the real world and hide from far ranging mental illnesses.

This is the reason why we created the Safe In Our World charity. We started it to provide gamers who are suffering in silence with a place they can seek information, get help and understand they’re not alone.

The process

The first step in launching the charity was to develop a brand identity and website that would resonate with the gaming community. The brand identity for Safe In Our World was initially developed by the SIOW design team. After that, they collaborated with Form to develop the brand. Besides, we created a website that would deliver on all the visions that the charity have. Original artworks for the brand were provided by the immensely talented teenager Alisha Hawkins, who herself had first hand experience of mental health issues. She drew all of the illustrations used throughout the website and other brand collateral.

The site’s (safeinourworld.org) main goal is to provide information for mental health sufferers and widen the acceptance and understanding of mental health throughout the gaming community. It aims to provide simple navigation to find help and provide access to education and facts about mental health issues. It will also feature stories from gamers, Youtubers and people within the gaming industry all sharing their experiences. For instance, stories about how they have overcome their issues or how they are still fighting it on a daily basis. Besides, the website works as a hub to deliver the very latest news in health-related gaming. Also, it provides the tools for developers and publishers to spread the name of Safe In Our World, gaining the momentum and recognition it deserves.

However, this is only the beginning. Safeinourworld.org will be an ever evolving website. We are already planning additions and regional localisations to allow a far greater audience to benefit from Safe In Our World. It will be a long journey, but we are 100% behind this to ensure it succeeds and provides much needed support to the gaming community. Most importantly, backed by industry partners such as Microsoft, indy giants Curve Digital and many other companies alongside patrons and trustees, Safe In Our World is off to a good start.

Testimonials

“Safe In Our World partnered with Form to create an amazing website portal. What can I say about the experience? Just fantastic. They helped design, they helped the user experience, they helped with content and they also coded the whole thing! I have to admit, without them as a partner, I don’t think we would’ve gotten over the line to launch this charity… I feel that strongly about their contribution. As a team, they are creative and talented, but from a personal point of view they are deeply passionate about their work, and as importantly, deeply passionate about the charity and its objectives. Safe In Our World is The Video Games Mental Health Charity, and the quality of the work done, has added immeasurable credibility to what is an often difficult area to break into”

Leo Zullo, Chair and Co-founder, Safe In Our World and Director of Wired Productions

Watch the Safe In Our World video about the young games designer Emily Mitchell. Emily is the creator of Fractured Minds and winner of the BAFTA young game designer of the year. Emily herself suffers from mental health issues. However, she designed the game to give an insight into the feelings of anxiety and depression. A truly inspirational young woman.

It can be difficult to know what to say to someone who’s suffering from mental health issues, or how to help. Sometimes the best way to help is to let them know they’re not alone. Check in with them to reassure them you are there for them. For example, a catch up, phone call or text goes a long way letting someone know and feel they’re important.

Safe In Our World is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 1183344. But its objectives and mission is global.

Last but not least

So, for more information, and to download press assets, please visit:
Safe In Our World http://bit.ly/SafeMedia
Fractured Minds http://bit.ly/FracturedMindsPR

Social Media:
twitter.com/safeinourworld
facebook.com/safeinourworld
instagram.com/safeinourworld

Also, for press enquires please email press@safeinourworld.org