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

 

History In The Making

History could be created when Middlesbrough FC Women take on Chorley on Sunday 24 March.

“We believe it is the first time at any club where the men’s and women’s team have had a Foundation game in the same season.” says Head of Foundation Lynsey Edwards.

“We’re very proud of that and thank everyone who has made this happen. Being able to collaborate with the club and sponsors across both the men and women’s teams really shows their support for the Foundation as well as our joint commitment to equality”

The game, at Stockton FC’s MAP ground, will see Middlesbrough FC Women wearing the Middlesbrough FC Foundation logo on their shirts in a replica of the men’s game against Rotherham in January.

Regular front of shirt sponsors Durata have donated their space for this match. The Foundation’s Business Development Manager Paul Shepherd says: “A massive thank you to Durata for doing this. Durata share a lot of our values and we work closely with them on other events.

“This is a massive opportunity for us to further showcase the work of the Foundation and demonstrate how we work together with the communities of the Tees Valley.”

Representatives of many of the Foundation’s programmes will be on hand to answer any questions, while in the lead-up to the 2pm kick-off, the Foundation will replicate their role on a men’s matchday by organising flag waving, player walkout with a young person and a match mascot.

With 40% of the Foundation’s participants being women and girls, this is a great opportunity to make that number bigger. We do, though, look forward to welcoming an inclusive, diverse crowd for the penultimate home game in what has been a terrific season for the Middlesbrough FC Women’s team.

Tickets cost £5 for adults and under 16’s enter for free, all tickets are available on entry at the venue.