Oxfordshire FA is proud to announce its innovative new partnership with The Football Mental Health Alliance (FMHA).

With over 200 clubs with 1,300 teams and 20,000 people, our mission is to sustainably grow the local grassroots game for the benefit of the whole community. We care about the community. We want everyone to enjoy the game whatever their background. We want to use the power of football to break down barriers and bring people together.

At the heart of this collaboration is The Vault, FMHA's free, pioneering mental health platform designed with comprehensive resources for grassroots football. This unique platform is the result of collaboration with specialist psychologists, coaches, parents, carers, licensed FIFA Agents and ex-professional footballers, to understand key mental health challenges and craft innovative solutions.

The Vault is for anyone involved in grassroots football at any level - players, coaches, parents/carers, spectators, volunteers and match officials. All of our affiliated football clubs need a Welfare Officer and we want to ensure that those volunteers get the best support possible. 

The Vault contains expert-led, football-themed content in the form of interactive webinars, access to personal stories from current and ex-professional footballers, articles and infographics, a podcast, journals, mental health plans for Clubs to utilise, mental health first aid training and an upcoming conference, all designed to support mental well-being within the grassroots football community. 

• 1 in every 4 people in this country will experience a mental health challenge of some kind each year, and 1 in 6 report experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety or depression in any given week. 
• 1 in 6 children aged under 16 experience a probable mental health problem and mental health conditions often develop early, with 75% of cases starting by age 18. 

The Vault was conceived in response to these and many other pressing statistics and the increased demand for digital mental health solutions across the grassroots football spectrum. This always accessible, ever-evolving platform provides support anytime for all age ranges. It allows for anonymous sign-up, ensuring confidentiality and comfort to those seeking information or assistance with their own or someone else’s mental health. 

"We are elated to welcome Oxfordshire FA. Our partnership is an acknowledgement of football's unique position to enhance mental health in our game and communities," said Danny Matharu, Founder of The Football Mental Health Alliance. 

"The Vault will serve as a free, always accessible, continually growing resource, ensuring a wide-reaching, tangible impact on mental health within grassroots football across England. There is a clear and urgent need for a comprehensive, digital mental health support system that provides resources, education and guidance, especially within the grassroots community, a space which has long faced a dearth of such solutions.”

Jonathan Duckworth, Oxfordshire FA Chief Executive, said: “We care deeply about the welfare and wellbeing of everyone involved in local football across our county. Throughout Oxfordshire the aim is the same: to ensure everyone has a safe, welcoming, inclusive, positive, supportive, encouraging and fun environment in which to enjoy our national game. 

“Whoever you are, wherever you are, whether on or off the pitch, everyone faces different challenges and anyone can be struggling with something that others might not see or know how to help with. 

“We want to raise awareness of these shared challenges and help to effectively tackle them. The Football Mental Health Alliance will be a fantastic partner as we strive to achieve this.”

The Vault is open and details can be found at www.vault.thefmha.com where anyone affiliated to Oxfordshire FA can sign up for free.