The Sport Minds conference, hosted by The FA at Wembley and sponsored by LPP Consulting, has been organised by a coalition of organisations led by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, the Professional Players Federation and Mind. It will welcome signatories to the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation, launched by the Deputy Prime Minister in March, and help them to develop tools and processes to deliver better mental health through sport. The Charter already has 200 signatories, including all the major sports and largest governing bodies.
Leading practitioners from the worlds of sport and mental health were on hand to offer delegates practical help and advice. Speakers include:
• Clarke Carlisle, former professional footballer
• Andy Baddeley, two‐time Olympian and Britain’s top 1,500m runner
• Conor Cusack, sportsman and mental health advocate
• Dr Kitrina Douglas, Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University and former professional golfer
• Karen Mellanby, Director of Networks and Communities, Mind
• Gordon Taylor OBE, Chair of the Professional Footballers Association
Emma Boggis, Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO believes that the conference will spark a wave of activity across the sector.
“The aim of the Charter is to bring about a culture change around sport and mental health, by encouraging and enabling people to talk openly about their issues and to seek the help they need. We want people to know and understand that the sport and recreation sector is a positive place for conversations about mental health.
“The Sport Minds event is our next step in taking that conversation forward. We want to remove the stigma around mental health by making sure that sport and recreation clubs and programmes are prepared to deal with mental health problems and at the same time are promoting themselves as part of the solution. Physical activity is an effective prescription for mild depression and anxiety and is a great way to look after your mental health. What Sport Minds will do is give people practical tips and advice on how they can make their organisation or network a place which understands good mental health.”
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of mental health charity Mind added: “As more of our sporting heroes talk about their own mental health it’s clear that governing and representative bodies can play a major role – in making sport more accessible to those with mental health problems and also encouraging people to have that first conversation about how they are feeling.
“Sport at all levels can be used to prevent stigma and encourage conversation about mental health so we’re delighted the Mental Health Charter for Sport has been so popular. It is the support of organisations like the Sport and Recreation Alliance and Professional Players federation and events like today, helping to raise awareness of mental health problems, which will help us to reach a point where anyone feels able to ask for help and can access the support they need as soon as they do.”
To find out more about the Mental Health Charter, click here.
