A DORSET mental health charity and AFC Bournemouth have teamed up to invite young adults to Vitality Stadium for Mental Health Awareness Week.
On Tuesday May 10 between 6pm and 8pm, AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust and Dorset Mind are welcoming 18-24-year-olds into the Vitality Stadium.
The theme this year is loneliness.
Recent stats from the Office of National Statistics about children and young people, report that 9.8 per cent of young people aged 16-25 feel lonely ‘often.’
To help tackle loneliness, Dorset Mind and AFC Bournemouth are inviting young people to take part in a 30–45-minute fun physical activity session at the stadium.
The aim is to encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, socialise and learn something new. This session will be delivered by Community Sports Trust coaches.
Steve Cuss, AFC Bournemouth’s head of community, spoke about the importance of tackling mental health in football.
“Physical and mental wellbeing and so interlinked and is really important when it comes to our players and communities, particularly for young people", he said.
"We’re so happy to be supporting Dorset Mind during mental health awareness week to help reinforce this message and to offer a chance for young people to connect.”
Linda O'Sullivan, Dorset Mind CEO, said: "We are so excited to be collaborating with AFC Bournemouth and look forward to supporting and helping young adults to understand the link between mental and physical wellbeing.
“After the pandemic and lockdowns, it’s even more important to encourage young people to connect and talk.
"Our event with AFC Bournemouth provides the perfect opportunity and tools for young people to start to make connections with their peers - and understand that talking about mental health should be as normal as talking about physical health.”
Dorset Mind delivers mental health education, training, and one-to-one and group support for adults and young people across Dorset. Visit Dorset Mind’s website to see what support they offer: https://dorsetmind.uk/help-and-support.
Help the charity fund their vital life-changing support by emailing them at: partnerships@dorsetmind.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here