Think With Your Feet

Participants in Middlesbrough FC kits huddle up for a team talk

FOOTBALL is increasingly being recognised as a valuable tool for practical mental health therapy, and MFC Foundation is very much at the forefront of this endeavour.

MFC Foundation’s ‘Think with Your Feet’ mental health football sessions have rapidly expanded since they began in February 2015 and this is mainly due to the ever growing partnership with MIND and their ‘Get set to go project’ which refers service users into our weekly football sessions.

As well as weekly football session participants are also given the opportunity to represent MFC Foundation in national competitions ran by similar initiatives at other football clubs.

The team, currently ranked 1st in the country after winning the National Mental Health Championships hosted by Everton in the Community, have won a range of silverware this year after wins in Northampton, Derby and Rotherham. Alongside this a group of participants were lucky enough to go to Munich, thanks to fundraising and sponsors, and compete in the EASI-Regenbogen-Cup which they also won in extra time.

The impact of the sessions goes above and beyond keeping fit and playing football.

“Not so long ago, I tried to kill myself and was also harming myself. Now, through football and MFC Foundation’s football team I can see a point to my life. I enjoy spending time there and have made loads of friends. All the lads and the coaches are superb, I love playing with MFC Foundation – I love the Boro, but not as much as the Boro loves me.” – Think With Your Feet participant

We also hold an annual Social Inclusion tournament, which this year alongside Everton’s National Championships, was the joint biggest tournament in the UK attracting teams from as far as Carlisle and Wrexham.

If you would like to know more, please email liam.watson@mfcfoundation.co.uk

 

Young People Inspired To Talk About Mental Health

Students from several Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation’s partner secondary schools participated in The Premier League Inspires Challenge 2023/24 during which they were tasked with creating a mentally healthy environment for the club, fans, partners and players.

Working alongside Foundation staff during their Premier League Inspires sessions in school over the past half term, the youngsters produced a range of social action projects, whilst also supporting the Premier League’s Inside Matters mental health campaign.

The message was simple, to remind everyone that it is okay not to be okay and of the importance of keeping up conversations on mental health.

Coming together at the Riverside, students from Grangefield Academy, North Shore Academy, Outwood Academy Acklam, Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth and Outwood Academy Normanby presented to a panel of judges made up of representatives from Middlesbrough Football Club, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation and Teesside MIND.

Outwood Academy Acklam were the overall winners with their idea of a Mental Health Awareness Pocket Guide that anyone can use, including professional footballers. They will now represent Middlesbrough FC at the Premier League Inspires Challenge national final on Thursday April 25th at the Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal FC, alongside the other 44 Premier League Inspires Club Community Organisations.

The groups who did not progress to the national event will continue to develop their ideas with the support of the Boro and the Foundation.