Ahead of this weekend’s return of the football season, a new campaign using football to create a conversation within the Manx community about male mental health has been announced by the Island’s leading mental health charitable organisation Isle Listen, and community-owned football club FC Isle of Man.
Mental health remains one of the biggest issues facing men under 45 and through the partnership, Isle Listen and FC Isle of Man want to highlight that mental health is just as important as physical health. Football is a topic that many men talk about more than any other, and through the popularity of football, both organisations hope to take even bigger steps towards removing the stigma on our Island.
Les Nicol, Vice Chairman of FC Isle of Man said about the partnership: “The club are delighted to be able to partner with such an important charitable organisation and look forward to working with them in the coming season in supporting the positive mental health and wellbeing of our Island”.
Andrea Chambers, Isle Listen Chief Executive added: “FC Isle of Man touched the hearts of so many of us earlier this year and we are very excited to be working with such a high-profile team on the Island. Male mental health continues to be a silent pandemic with so few men still not feeling comfortable reaching out for help when it’s needed. Using the power and popularity of football, we hope to further drive awareness and change on our Island.”
The partnership will see several initiatives over the next 12 months, including training over 100 people in the FC Isle of Man squad and the various support teams in mental health and wellbeing first aid, enabling them to spot the early signs that someone may be struggling and enable them to provide support.
Visit Isle Listen’s website for more information about what they do.
