Sport in Mind

CFA partners with UK's leading Mental Health Sports Charity

Berkshire based, national charity, Sport in Mind become our Charity Partners

As a leader in football, Berks & Buck FA has a responsibility to every participant that is involved or wants to be involved in the game. 

Berks & Bucks FA engages with over 80,000 participants in a given season and with at least 1 in 4 people in the UK experiencing mental health issues each year we are keen to acknowledge and support everyone’s relationship with their mental health. 

To this end, Berks & Bucks FA have partnered with Berkshire based, national charity, Sport in Mind, and will be working on several exciting projects to raise the profile of mental health and the positive relationship sport can have in people’s lives.   

Sport in Mind, the UK’s leading mental health sports charity, was established in Reading in 2010 and their mission is to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. The charity’s work is endorsed by the NHS and has gained widespread national acclaim, and Berks & Bucks FA are excited to partner with a charity whose ethos aligns so closely to our own.

Over the coming months Berks & Bucks FA will be working in the Mental Health space to achieve the following: 

Provide Mental Health Awareness Training to staff and to key volunteers within the game 
Raise the profile of the signs and symptoms of poor mental health 
Provide training and support to those recovering from poor mental health encouraging their involvement in the game. 
Open additional opportunities for the football community to talk about their mental health. 

Liz Verrall, Berks & Bucks FA, CEO, said: “Partnering with Sport in Mind is part of our public commitment to the football community, recognising the equal importance of physical and mental health. Our purpose and why we do what we do is to 'Connect People and Change Lives'. 

"We take our responsibility to use the power of football to engage and communicate important messages seriously. Our partnership with Sport in Mind is an exciting prospect. I look forward to working closely with Neil and his team over the coming years and to add value to such an important area of our health.” 

Neil Harris, Sport in Mind, CEO, said: "Sport in Mind are excited to partner with Berks & Bucks FA to enhance understanding of mental health and the amazing benefits football and physical activity can have on our communities’ health. 

"At a time when more people are struggling with their mental health than ever before, this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time for many local people. We look forward to working closely with Berks & Bucks FA in the years to come to help improve the lives of thousands people."

If you want to find out more about Sport in Mind, please visit www.sportinmind.org or follow @sportinmind