Leeds Rhinos player Stevie Ward set to tackle mental health issues

Ward has won widespread praise in recent times for his willingness to publicly discuss his own struggles with depression.

And he has now been confirmed to speak at the launch of the Chakra Corporate Mental Strength For The Nation tour.

Visiting nine cities nationwide, the tour has been organised by Leeds-based psychotherapist Zainah Khan’s Chakra Corporate mental strength training school.

It has been designed to give HR professionals and business leaders the knowledge they need to ensure their well-being policies take proper account of mental health.

The tour kicks off with sessions in Leeds being hosted by law firms Irwin Mitchell and Lupton Fawcett on March 20 and 21 respectively, with Ward speaking on both days.

He said today: “I’m really looking forward to speaking at the Chakra Corporate mental health tour launch in Leeds as we continue to de-stigmatise mental health in the UK.

“It’s a subject that’s close to my heart and there is some great work being done to improve understanding of mental health, however it’s important that we continue to build on this and educate as many people as possible.”

Ward is the driving force behind Mantality, an online magazine that encourages men to open up about mental health issues and enjoy more complete lives.

The Morley-born 24-year-old launched Mantality in 2016 after suffering from depression following a series of injuries.

Business people interested in attending the events in Leeds should visit www.chakracorporate.co.uk/leeds for more details.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has been praised for its own mental health awareness campaign, called #SpeakYourMind.