A new campaign launched last week at the CV Show is aiming to improve the mental health of commercial vehicles drivers and playing chess has been highlighted as one way of tackling the issue.
Driving Better Mental Health, which is backed by How’s My Driving?, National Recruitment Line and Karoma aims to make a real difference by focusing on issues such as loneliness and social isolation. As part of the campaign, isolation and loneliness is being tackled by offering drivers the opportunity to connect with others in their community over a short game of chess.
David Footitt, How’s My Driving? special ambassador, said, “Research shows that maintaining good mental health is an important subject for us all. With the needs of the job, commercial vehicle drivers tend to be isolated for long periods of time and can lack the benefits of regular social interaction. Mental health can quickly suffer.”
5asideCHESS is a Social Enterprise determined to reconnect people in a disconnected world through a short form game of chess, which can simply be used by experienced players and novices alike to connect and engage.
The 5asideCHESS team are currently part-way through a year-long UK tour using the Battling Suicide Bus. They are promoting chess as a simple and effective way to get people back into the ‘Art of Conversation.’
Footitt added, “Drivers can quickly strike up a game of chess wherever they take their stops and use the game as an opportunity to chat, re-ignite friendships and find new ones. ‘Drive Better Mental Health’ aims to introduce and promote the 5asideCHESS concept to the logistics industry and get people playing, talking and connecting.”
