THROUGHOUT the week, the English Football League (EFL) has seen its clubs, CCOs and their communities do a Mile For Mind to mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week which began on Monday and runs through to Sunday.
As part of the EFL’s On Your Side partnership with Mind, people of all ages and abilities have been encouraged to do a Mile For Mind to help raise awareness of mental health and donate much-needed funds to support Mind.
Individuals taking part have been walking, skipping, jumping or hopping in parks and open public spaces to home gardens and housing estates.
Here at MFC Foundation we have been working in primary schools, secondary schools and throughout our communities to spread the message. Colleagues throughout the Foundation have joined in in their own time, walking a mile (or more) and incorporating the theme of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2021 which is nature.
Our Team Talk mental health programme in Skinningrove showcased their work on an allotment we has been transformed from wasteland behind the building they use for their meetings, while in Skelton, our Walk And Talk group made the journey to the duck pond in the village centre and our Think With Your Feet programme goes from strength to strength at the Herlingshaw.
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- The donkey is Bracken. Ages 20, he’s believed to be one of the oldest donkeys in the country
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- Our Walk and talk group at Skelton
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- A constant source of companionship when out for a walk, she’s Jess by the way
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- Part of a transformed landscape created by our Team Talk mental health group in Skinningrove with a lot of help from Francis Owens and his Growing In Harmony project based at Kirkleatham
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- Further work from our Team Talk group
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- A splash of colour
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- Planting the right flowers will create habitat vital for bees
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- Where Kilton beck meets Hummersea
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- The Cleveland way passes through here as you walk from Saltburn to Staithes
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- Recommended listens for our Inspires group. They may inspire you too
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- Recommended reads for our Inspires group. They may also inspire you too
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- Wellness Wednesdays are always beneficial at North Shore Academy in Norton
One in four of us experience mental health problems each year and we try to help. If you think we can help you, please e-mail enquiries@mfcfoundation.co.uk All correspondence is treated in the strictest of confidence.
EFL Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, said: “There’s no hiding from the struggles many of us have faced during the pandemic and the effects this has had on mental health. This makes the work we are delivering through our partnership with Mind more important than ever, harnessing the power of football to help improve the nation’s mental health and wellbeing.
“As restrictions continue to ease across the country, we look forward to seeing fans and communities come together to enjoy the country’s national game inside our stadiums and hope that this will impact positively on the mental wellbeing of supporters.”
Paul Farmer, CEO, Mind, said: “Mental Health Awareness Week is a time when the spotlight is very much on mental health. We hope that fans get behind us in whatever way they choose to do their Mile For Mind, to show that they support our fight for better mental health. By doing a Mile For Mind you are not only helping us to raise greater awareness about mental health but also vital funds for our services, at a time when more people than ever have felt the impact of the pandemic on their mental health.
“Through our partnership with the EFL we have already been able to extend the life-changing services we provide to more people across the country. With the support of EFL fans and Clubs we want to continue to be game-changers in the way football tackles mental health. For anyone who’s mental health has been affected by the pandemic our message remains the same: whoever you support, Mind is here to support you.”