World Mental Health Awareness Day: Meet Sue

Meet Sue, she attends our Every Player Counts football sessions funded by EFL Trust and Wembley National Stadium Trust.

As it’s World Mental Health Day, 10th October 2021, Sue wanted to share some of her story.

Sue, prior to engaging with us, would spend most of her days at home being inactive which, amongst other things, impacted her mental health. She first started to engage with us in 2016. A Community Trust staff member who was at the session she initially attended, supported her whilst at the session and also helped her to find and attend talking therapy sessions in conjunction with attending our football programme.

She has now been engaging with us for five years and says, “if it wasn’t for the football sessions the Community Trust provide, I’d probably be sat at home, bored, doing nothing, not feeling good mentally.”

We asked her what she enjoys about coming to the Get Set to Go football sessions and she said, “The support of the Community Trust staff is great. They take time to listen to me if I need to speak to them about anything. I’ve also made a lot of friends at the session. I remember when I first came, Rob (another participant who still attends) encouraged me and made me feel very welcome.”

Paul, the Community Engagement Team Leader, who delivers on the session Sue attends said, “Sue has always been open with the staff about her mental health. She has said to me how past and present staff, and the Community Trust in general, have always been supportive of her. She is one of our most regular attendees and it’s a pleasure having her attend. 

“Knowing Sue and from what we discuss sometimes, I know how important our community sessions are to her and all the participants we engage.  The funding we receive from EFL Trust and Wembley National Stadium Trust plays an important part in helping our participants mental health. Other participants have expressed similar statements to Sue, about not knowing what they would do with themselves if they couldn’t attend the football sessions we deliver and how it helps them to get out of the house and see friends”. 

If you would like to join us at our FREE football sessions please email info@bfcct.co.uk or call 01253 348 691 for more information.