TESTIMONIALS
"My first session was pre-lockdown and I was a little anxious beforehand. I wanted to meet new people as I am relatively new to the local area. What I enjoy now is that it is a consistent social activity and all the guys who turn up are spot on. It's also a good opportunity to talk about mental health if I ever needed to speak out." - Oliver Ryan
"My first session was back in March time just before the lockdown period. I had seen a post advertising Kick Start FC on Facebook and thought I would give it a try. I have always enjoyed playing football and the guys who turn up are a good laugh I have enjoyed coming to the sessions. It’s also a great way to speak out if you have anything on your mind. I would totally recommend it." - Rob Yates
TESTIMONIALS
"My first session was pre-lockdown and I was a little anxious beforehand. I wanted to meet new people as I am relatively new to the local area. What I enjoy now is that it is a consistent social activity and all the guys who turn up are spot on. It's also a good opportunity to talk about mental health if I ever needed to speak out." - Oliver Ryan
"My first session was back in March time just before the lockdown period. I had seen a post advertising Kick Start FC on Facebook and thought I would give it a try. I have always enjoyed playing football and the guys who turn up are a good laugh I have enjoyed coming to the sessions. It’s also a great way to speak out if you have anything on your mind. I would totally recommend it." - Rob Yates
How do I talk about my mental health?
Putting your feelings into words is sometimes difficult. It’s perfectly normal to be worried that you might say the wrong thing or explain it badly. It’s also natural to feel anxious that your loved one or friend might think your mental health is worse than you might feel it is.
Try not to worry – talking about your mental health is incredibly important when it comes to getting the right support for you and with the right preparation the conversation can be easier than you think it might be. Here are a few tips on how to talk about your mental health.
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HOME TACKLING THE MIND
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WALK TO WEMBLEY
Friday 13th September 2024
Every year on September the 10th, organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide. The latest suicides statistics showed that in 2022, in the UK and Republic of Ireland, more than 6,790 people died by suicide. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy. And we know that suicide is preventable, it’s not inevitable. But not being OK is still widely stigmatised. And governments can still make better, more ambitious plans to prevent suicide.
On Sunday the 8th of August a group of Kick Start FC volunteers and service users set off on a 71 mile walk, starting at Ludgershall, Wiltshire and ending their journey at Wembley Stadium. The aim of the two-day walk was to raise awareness and to get people talking about suicide prevention, whilst raising money to help keep our football therapy services accessible for those who need an intervention. The walk took the team through Reading, Maidenhead, and Slough and walking up to 15 hours per day.
"Due to the previous walk we did a couple of years ago where we covered 65 miles around London, I was expecting this walk to be physically challenging. However, I think we learned from that experience and we were able to take care of ourselves a lot better to try and minimise the amount of blisters and injuries. For me personally I found this walk to be more mentally challenging. At one point we were walking along a canal for 5 miles only to be met with a closed footpath, resulting in us having to take a detour. This situation really hit me psychologically but thankfully I had an amazing team rally around me". - Michael Cunningham
Thanks to the efforts of the team and the generosity shown by many others to Kick Start FC, they were able to raise £2371.
Kick Start FC is a charitable incorporated organisation. Charity no. 1203577
Affiliated to the Wiltshire Football Association
