BLOG: How a charity helps men’s mental health through football
Mental health is an unseen crisis, which, statistically, men don’t talk about. For this year’s Men’s Health Week, I visited a local organisation to see how they use football to break down the barriers of mental health, writes Cllr Steve Drury, Three Rivers District Council’s Lead Member for Community Engagement, Public Safety, and Housing.
Man On! is a Watford Football Club Community, Sports & Education Trust initiative, which the district council helps fund, to support adult men with their mental health through physical activity and a conversation café. The initiative operates at the William Penn Leisure Centre on Mondays and brings together men to build positive relationships, build new social networks, and improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
I visited Man On! with Cllr Chris Lloyd, the council’s Lead Member for Leisure, to meet the people who run the programme and the men who take part in it.
Football is a game that helps bring communities together, and it also has physical and mental health benefits. Despite knowing this, I was still taken aback by how lifesaving the game can be.
The testimonials I heard first-hand from the attendees were amazing and show how valued the programme is. Some men said it has helped with their confidence and self-esteem while also keeping fit both physically and mentally, which has led to some great friendships.
We usually shout ‘Man On’ to alert a player with the ball that an opposing player is behind them. Reflecting back, I think the name is very fitting, as every person at Man On! has each other’s backs and will support them no matter what they are going through.
I am proud that we, as a council, have and continue to support this great programme, which has helped so many men and their mental wellbeing. Today and every day, many men silently battle their mental health and, in some instances, tragically take their own lives. It can sometimes be easy to forget that mental health is just as important as physical health, so it is vital that we get the message across that it is ok not to be ok and be open to talk about our mental health in a safe and non-judgmental space.
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