IMPORTANT – ALL PLAYERS WHO WANT TO TAKE PART IN OUR SESSIONS MUST SECURE AND PAY FOR THEIR SPACE THROUGH THE SPOND APP (please specify which sessions you’d like to be added to) AS SPACES ARE NOW LIMITED, THANK YOU
ALL adults are welcome…. it doesn’t matter about your gender, age, religion, sexuality, race, background, fitness, football ability, appearance etc.
Relaxed kickabouts with NO SLIDE TACKLES at any of the sessions.
**ALL MHFC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS have at least DBS Checks (Basic), Mental Health First Aid certificates, Suicide Awareness and Adult Safeguarding certificates**
We primarily hope it helps and supports people’s mental health but also people’s fitness, getting people out for an hour, socialising, combatting loneliness and hopefully making new friends.
While football will help improve people’s mental health on it’s own (read our article on how it helps mental health here) we also encourage people to talk about mental health however it’s completely up to you if you’d like to talk about mental health, while playing football, after football or not at all, nothing is forced and everything is relaxed and stress free.
As we know each person has their own struggles, triggers and stresses and each person will respond to different approaches differently so we’ll be their to make you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible as you spend time figuring out what helps and works best for you.
We’re all there to help and support each other and hopefully by sharing stories and experiences it helps everyone in knowing you aren’t alone, you never know other people in the team may be able to help and give advice from their personal experiences and everyone has the support of this TEAM!!
Everyone who is on that pitch during the kick-about is there for the same reasons and knows what it’s about so there’ll be no judging at all.
We work with the FA being a registered FA Just Play Centre to attract more people who’d like a local casual kick about.
After each session we go to a local clubhouse or pub for refreshments and chat, it’s completely up to players if they want to attend or not and how long for if they do.
It’s just another way to socialise after football, make friends and chat about anything, football, your day, your week, work life, home life, stresses, worries, share experiences etc
During chats people have been able to share their own experiences and knowledge in order support, advise and guide others in their journeys with mental health which has helped others massively.
If anyone needs more in-depth help and tailored support we work alongside Doncaster Mind, Doncaster Talking Therapy and UK mental health charity Trauma Research UK who can provide this.
If it goes well I plan to roll it out across the UK….. If you’d like to start a weekly MHFC session in your area please get in touch and we’ll try and help to make it happen.
#MHFC #MentalHealthFC
Find a local relaxed kickabout to take part in and help your mental health using the map below.
More sessions in more locations are getting added soon, like our Facebook page for updates (click here @MHFooty).
If you’re in the UK and would like to start your own MHFC in your local area to help people or you run a similar kind of relaxed mental health kickabout session already that you’d like adding to our map then please get in touch, hello@mentalhealthfc.org
DISCLAIMER – We have insurance to cover us but we hope/don’t expect to use it, it’s just a friendly kick about so no dangerous tackles but we accept that accidents happen.
Photos & videos may be taken during the sessions for website and social media use to hopefully reach and attract new people, if you don’t want your photo taken that isn’t a problem and just let us know, we’ll try to mention it before each session anyway.
Sessions cost £3 per player per session and this can be paid when registering your space for a session in the Spond app.
The money we get from sessions is greatly appreciated as it enables us to keep putting on sessions, maintaining them and even adding more to help even more people around Doncaster and beyond!!
If you’d like to donate and support MHFC then you can do so via bank transfer (details below) or money can also be given to session leaders at MHFC sessions.
If any companies around Doncaster would like to sponsor and support the project please email me at hello@mentalhealthfc.org for more info.
Most of the money that comes in will be spent on pitch hire costs, any additional money will go to football equipment, volunteer courses and running of MHFC, THANK YOU!!
BANK INFO….
BUSINESS ACCOUNT NAME – MENTAL HEALTH FC CIC
05-02-00
74406570
People in the football world that support what MHFC is and what it’s doing….
ALL clothing is made from premium 100% organic cotton with £3 from every sale going to MHFC.
T-shirts (three different designs), zip hoodies and hoodies are available for men and women in a wide range of sizes and up for 5 different colours!!
We have more clothing, designs, sizes (kids) and even a football shirt in the works!!
To order one of our custom MHFC football shirts please contact us directly.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAILLING LIST….