Pontypool RFC boss Ben Jeffreys appointed to regional Mind role

Mr Jeffreys has been open about his experiences with mental health, sharing his story on his blog, TheMindField, to encourage others to avoid going it alone in trying to deal with their mental health concerns..

The Pooler chief executive took a leave of absence from the rugby club in March and was admitted to Bristol’s Priory Hospital to undergo treatment for depression.

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“It is an incredible honour to be appointed as the chairman of an organisation that serves a cause very close to my heart and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with the whole team in the months and years ahead,” said Mr Jeffreys.

“Since I first joined the charity, I have been struck by the unwavering commitment displayed by the entire team. It is clear that the organisation has all the fundamentals in place to succeed and it is my sincere hope that we can continue to grow the organisation and serve more people in the community as a result.”

Mr Jeffreys joined the charity as a trustee in February 2020, and has replaced outgoing chairman Chris York.

“It is clear that Ben is a team player and I echo his sentiments regarding commitment within the organisation,” said Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent Mind trustee and volunteer, Dean Piper.

“It is exciting to have somebody in the chairman role with such a diverse skill set embedded in the roots of our local communities.

“We now face more challenges than ever before, but we do so in the knowledge that we have great strength within our extended team, with a strong intent on both support and growth. We know it will not be easy, but we will face the challenges together.”

Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent Mind exists to help people achieve better mental health and wellbeing and our aim is to help people to help themselves to get the support that they need.

With the impacts COVID-19 continues to have on our mental health, our services are more important than ever before.

If you are interested in playing a leading role in helping to shape the delivery of mental health services at Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent Mind by becoming a Trustee, please contact Andrew Goodwin via andrew.goodwin@torfaenmind.co.uk for more information.