“We Wear The Same Shirt” the Welsh football initiative making a big difference to tackling mental health Across the UK, there are many sporting initiatives which are designed to support mental health. This issue, we speak with representatives from the We Wear The Same Shirt initiative, which is led by the FAW Trust and supported by Time to Change Wales. The project is a unique football programme designed specifically for people with lived experience of mental health.
For those suffering from mental health issues, the stigma surrounding their mental health and the discrimination that they may face can often be as debilitating as the illness itself. With physical activity a proven factor in improving mental health, the "We Wear The Same Shirt" initiative is an exciting way of facilitating sporting access for people living with mental health problems. As part of the project, six football clubs (Wrexham Inclusion Football Club, Newport County AFC and Newtown AFC, Cardiff Met AC, Haverfordwest County AFC, and Cambrian & Clydach Vale FC) have offered dedicated coaching sessions...with a twist. Unlike many other sporting initiatives, many of the coaches themselves have been affected by mental health problems and have received help and support from social services.
“All of our 15 coaches came to us as players with mental health difficulties. One of our coaches hadn’t left his house for five years unless it was to visit his GP. He arrived at one of our sessions one day when he felt like he had hit rock bottom. Five years on, he is a highly qualified coach and travels the world playing and coaching football.”
Speaking of the initiative, Wayne Greenshields, Team Manager of Wrexham Inclusion Football Squad says: “We offer people the opportunity to change their lives through football. Not everyone likes going to see a counsellor but can be persuaded to play football. We have seen so many people – men and women – turn their lives around.
Social Work News - 18
Wayne and his counterpart Norman Parselle, Community Development Officer at County in the Community (Newport County AFC) have taken time to speak exclusively with us about what the “We Wear The Same Shirt” project is about, and how social workers can get involved in similar initiatives across the UK.
