I feel justified in saying the last two-and-a-bit years have been more than a little challenging for more than a few people. A lot of people find the everyday stresses of life, well, stressful, for no group more so than teenagers and young adults. Studies suggest that one in nine children were struggling with their mental health in 2017. However, in 2021 that number had increased to around one in six children, with one in three adults carrying unresolved mental health issues from their childhood. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is an organisation set up to support these people, however, because of high demand, they currently have a waiting list of roughly 52 weeks. This is partly why Barrow Town Football Club has formed a partnership with the mental health charity, MIND.

MIND currently has a project to develop a presence in Leicestershire and Rutland which is being led by Rachel Nott from the Nottinghamshire branch. Part of this project is to partner with a number of community organisations in the county, which is where Barrow Town Football Club comes in. Mental health training is currently considered optional to become a qualified football coach however there are discussions about making it mandatory. In the meantime, MIND has agreed to provide free training for 30 members of the club’s coaching staff. This ensures that any player will have access to mental health counselling and support if ever they feel that something is not okay. Many players who join at a young age may be with the club for most of their adolescent life, so the club believes they are in a perfect position to provide this vital assistance as well as recognise when it might be beneficial for a child.

I’m sure you’ll agree that an outreach project like this one is a fantastic idea so if you have any thoughts or other causes you feel may benefit from this kind of support Rachel can be contacted at rachel.nott@nottinghamshiremind.org.uk.