AWARD WINNERS!!!
I can’t quite believe I’m writing this but Mental Health FC have WON the ‘Keeping Football Positive Award’ at the England Football Grassroots Awards 2024 by the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA 🤯
The judging panel were very impressed with our impact and the difference we’re making in our region and the following is why the panel selected us:
“Mental health is close to everyone. The issue of services being unavailable to those who need them, and those than need them are on the rise. To hear that this group has banded together to create an opportunity for those living with low mental health to take positive strides forward is inspirational.”
Thank you to everyone who voted for us so we managed to even be considered for the award.
You can see the award video that Sheffield FA and LensGo have put together to showcase MHFC which you can watch here https://youtu.be/XrT_KjWap_8
It’s crazy to think how much MHFC has grown and developed in one year, to win an award and be recognised before it’s even turned one (we found out we’d won the award in early June) is mind blowing and I could never dreamt of this.
Around 30 fantastic organisations and groups were nominated for this category and MHFC came which is even more crazy to think MHFC was chosen as the winner.
But the most important that has happened this year is all the people we’ve managed to help, support, encourage and improve and see them week by week improve.
That is and will always be our main goal and objective, to reach more new people and create an environment for them to get out, play football and get the support, help, encouragement and socialising they need through our sessions.
Hopefully will can start sessions around the UK where they are wanted and needed.
We’d love to start kids only, teens only, walking football sessions as well as kids holiday camps to go alongside or existing mixed and women’s only sessions.
We currently help over 120 people per week and if all goes to plan that number will at least double and possibly triple as numbers for existing sessions grow and we start new sessions in new areas for people.
The full stats from the first year of MHFC as shared earlier in the week are….
MHFC Sessions – 127
Total attendance – 3,287
Refreshments & chat – 1,039
Active members – 280
Amount of weekly sessions – 6
Cities covered – 2 (Doncaster and Scunthorpe)
People helped per week – at least 120 per week
I have five big thank you’s I’d like to do….
The first one is of course to the team behind MHFC that make it possible for the sessions to go ahead weekly, help and support each other and improve sessions where we can, they’re Dan, Mark, Stuart, Ben, Adam and Steve (although this is expanding with Peter, Sheridan, Hannah, Fiona, Levi, Kev and Carl)…. THANK YOU!!
The next one is to all the players we have and the support they’ve given MHFC and other players at sessions.
We currently have a massive 275 active playing members and everyone knows what MHFC sessions are about, the support we get as we run and develop the MHFC sessions is incredible and I can’t thank them enough.
As we’re still a young project we’re still learning and trying to establish ourselves as well as perfect things and everyone has been so understanding and supportive…. THANK YOU!!
The third thank you goes to all the organisations that have kindly supported and funded us which include:
National Lottery Community Fund
@Doncaster Council Ward Members (especially Gemma Cobby, @Julie Grace, Leanne Hempshall and Lanimae Ball)
VAD VCFS
Well Doncaster’s CIF
Sheffield FA
Another thank you to the local companies that have been willing to back MHFC in its first year:
UTOPIA Design & Marketing
IFS Risk Solutions
Holls Electrical
Dolphin ICT
Boxes and Packaging
FEC Renewables
At Boilers
PestX Ltd
KBins
YFood
(If you’d like to sponsor and support Mental Health FC please get in touch)
And the final thank you is to two ladies, one lady not only helped me set up MHFC and help me get funding but has also helped other similar non profits around South Yorkshire and in turn has helped thousands of people, Nicky Birkenshaw from Aspiring2
As well as Maz who supported me with my own mental health and helped inspire me to start MHFC.
Me and the MHFC team will keep plugging away, improving, starting new sessions and hopefully reaching and helping more people.
If you know a company that would like to support and sponsor our project please get in touch 😊
If you’d like to donate to MHFC you can do so on our JustGiving page here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mhfc?utm_term=Bn9rqqX22
Or you can buy MHFC clothing and even our custom football shirt here https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/#shop
For more information on MHFC and details on our existing and upcoming sessions please see our website https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/
The best way to keep up to date with new sessions launching in new areas is to like our Facebook page…. https://www.facebook.com/mhfooty
We also have dedicated pages for sessions in Doncaster and Scunthorpe which you can find linked here:
@MHFCDoncaster
@MHFCScunthorpe
(Sorry for the long post but this is a special achievement especially so early on in the MHFC journey)
Thank you all for your ongoing help and support.
(I also absolutely HATE listening and watching myself back through video, audio or photos, but I’ll do it for MHFC)