We wear the Same Shirt: Football against mental health stigma by Antony Metcalfe, Time To Change Wales

Sport is for everyone! It is that simple, and when we say everyone, we mean everyone – young and old, man and woman, mental health problem or not.

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week (16^th – 22^nd May 2016), we are looking at the positive contribution that sport can have on our mental health, which is why we’ve caught up with a project dedicated to tackling barriers and helping those with mental health problems to reap the benefits of our ‘beautiful game’ and of being more active.

With some of the biggest names of the game already standing proudly behind the campaign, will you show your support?

A same shirt session at Newtown FC

Many individuals dealing with mental health say that the discrimination they face is often worse than the illness itself. To make matters more difficult, this stigma could act as a barrier in stopping the same people from getting involved in sports and activities.

To tackle this, we at Time To Change Wales and the Football Association Wales Trust have come together to use our skills for what we do best. The result?

‘We Wear the Same Shirt’; a pilot football programme designed specifically for people with lived experience of mental health, supported by a public campaign to combat stigma.

Sports Wales Calls4Action funding allowed our two organisations to form a partnership that would engage with communities across Wales. To not only get our target audience talking about mental health but to also improve their physical activity levels - all at a time when Welsh football is looking forward to the 2016 Euro Championships.

In any one year 1 in 4 individuals will experience a mental health problem or illness and, at any one time, 1 in 6 of the workforce will face these challenges. With mental health considered by many as a taboo subject, discrimination prevents people from talking about their problems and seeking the help they need. Tragically, suicide is the biggest killer for men under 50 in Wales, a painful tragedy that Welsh football knows only too well.

It’s time to create a society where mental health problems are not hidden in shame or secrecy, and what better way than to use the ‘beautiful game’ to break down these barriers and get our communities talking, and playing.

Campaign launch saw the partnership between TTCW and FAW Trust

We all know that physical activity is a proven factor to improving mental health and now through the project people living with mental health conditions in the communities of Newtown AFC and Merthyr Town FC (and Newport FC and Wrexham FC as of June 2016), are able to sign up to the ‘We Wear The Same Shirt’ football programmes, delivered by the club’s top coaches, for free.

The programme is specifically designed and promises to be free of the pressures of competition, providing a safe and empathetic environment for people experiencing a mental health problem in starting their road to getting active.

In addition to the football programmes at clubs across Wales, the project’s public facing campaign is also gathering momentum – with many of the Welsh National football team, getting behind the message and helping to break down stigma.

Joe Ledley gets behind the campaign

And this is where you can show your support - The campaign is also asking that individuals across Wales step up and pledge their support and start conversation around mental health.  Simply visit http://wwtss.timetochangewales.org.uk/home/pledge/ to do so.  After all, we do all wear the same shirt!

We’re delighted to have started this project with the FAW Trust, in their words they are: “committed to working with a wide range of partners to ensure more people from disadvantaged groups and communities have the opportunity to participate in football and enjoy the health benefits promoted by being involved in the game whether as a player, coach, official or volunteer.” Rob Franklin FAW Trust, Senior Partnership Manager

But that doesn't mean that we can’t look to tackle stigma through other sports as well!  We all have a right to benefits of being active, we can all do a little more to help others get into our favourite sport.

You can find out more about the project at:

http://wwtss.timetochangewales.org.uk/home/

For general information please go to:

www.wewearthesameshirt.org.ukr