Oxfordshire FA is proud to announce a new partnership with mental health charity, Sport in Mind.

Sport in Mind is an award-winning mental health charity with a simple mission:

"To improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity".

Our new partnership with Sport in Mind will enable our grassroots clubs and leagues, and all individuals involved with them, to access bespoke mental health support and guidance, while allowing us all to work together to create awareness of mental health and the services and support available to our grassroots football community.

The partnership will also allow young people and adults across Oxfordshire with access to mental health opportunities.

Neil Harris, Founder and CEO, Sport in Mind at Sport in Mind, said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the Football and Mental Health booklet that we have created with Oxfordshire FA. To be able to produce such a ground-breaking resource has been a goal of mine for a very long time and I am delighted to see it being rolled out. 

“As a charity we see first-hand on a daily basis how sport and physical activity can have such a positive effect on our mental health, and being able to enhance and further educate everyone’s knowledge and understanding of mental health has the potential to transform the football landscape. Our long-term goal as a charity is to have this resource available to FAs all across the country, opening up conversations about mental health, combating stigma and changing lives.”

Michael Thurlow, Football Development Manager at Oxfordshire FA, added: “Mental health is, rightly, a very important subject to continue talking about, and we’re keen to ensure that our leagues and clubs have access to the best support available to allow us all to work together to look after our players, coaches, referees and all involved in the game. The unique community that football creates has provided a brilliant opportunity to bring people together to start important conversations, and we’re pleased to be able to partner with Sport in Mind to ensure that these conversations also strengthen knowledge, understanding and awareness of support available.”

Oxfordshire FA’s partnership with Sport in Mind has been forged as part of the County FA’s long-term strategy to work collaboratively to support those involved in grassroots football across the county. 

On-going open conversations around mental health remain of vital importance to remove any associated stigma connected to mental health. While the link between football and physical activity benefiting mental health has been documented, so too has the importance of bringing people together to forge a sense of community that allow open conversations which can make a huge difference.

As part of the partnership with Sport in Mind, Oxfordshire FA has also launched a new Mental Health Hub on OxfordshireFA.com, which provides participants across all levels of the game with insight and knowledge around various conditions which impact mental health, as well as signposts to support available.

Oxfordshire FA and Sport in Mind have also worked collaboratively to create a resource available to everyone in Oxfordshire, which educates and provides details of guidance and help on offer. Please read below or click the link at the foot of this article to download a copy.

For more information on Sport in Mind, please visit www.sportinmind.org

Alternatively, please click here to visit Oxfordshire FA’s Mental Health Hub or click here to download the new resource developed in partnership with Sport in Mind.