Mental Health Awareness Week (11 -17th May)
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
It’s a condition that will affect one in four of us at some stage in our lives. It can strike you when you least expect it to and has no respect for gender, sex, class, religion, race or age.
For some it can be a response to a stressful life event whether it is a bereavement or divorce but for others it may have much deeper roots in upbringing and traumas experienced in formative years or have a background in genetics or the environment.
For some people the mere effort of getting out of bed in the morning and facing the day ahead can be as daunting as the thought of climbing Everest would be for most of us.
This is not just feeling fed up or upset, this is Churchill’s famous “Black Dog”, this is a sky full of dark clouds with no sunshine appearing day after day, week after week and month after month. This is the feeling that your life has no value and is worthless. This is life without happiness, pleasure or meaning.
The pervasive and intrusive thoughts that the world would be a better place without you being a part of it and your family and friends equally so, cause nearly six thousand people to take their own lives every year in the UK with many more times that number who attempt unsuccessfully to end their lives and an even greater number tormented by the thoughts of doing so.
For others the terrifying thoughts that other people want to do us harm, sometimes the people we love, care for, and trust the most or the experience of hearing voices and sounds that other people don’t or the visual and tactile sensory disturbances that can make us feel vulnerable, exposed and alone.
There’s no single cause for mental ill-health and no single cure. Many people will experience one episode of ill-health but for others it can be a lifelong condition that will require a combination of talking therapies and prescribed medication.
Dunstable (Town) FC has pioneered grass roots support for people in our local community with lived experience of mental health problems.
The Club’s extensive community support programmes were instrumental in achieving the Non-League Paper’s Community Club of the Year award in 2024.
Director of Community Services, Andrew Madaras, sists on the National Council of the Football Supporter’s Association (FSA) and devised the #YouAreEnough mental health awareness partnership programme, between the FSA & Mind.
The programme partners clubs in the FSA’s community owned clubs’ network with their local Mind charities.
The campaign kicked off at Bury FC in July, moved on to Hereford FC in August, followed by Bilston Town, Exeter City & Bath City before the year ended and finished the season at Darlington FC last month.
There is more information on the programme here The #YouAreEnough campaign season review - Football Supporters' Association
Later this month the Club starts a two-year long research project with funding from Sport England to see whether football and other physical activity combined with peer support and well-being advice, improves health outcomes for people living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) conditions.
The Club has joined forces with the local NHS Community Mental Health Team, Be Active, Mind BLMK, Central Beds Council, Beds FA and Service User groups to deliver a weekly four-hour programme at Creasey Park.
People living with SMI conditions have an average life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years shorter than the rest of the population and higher rates of chronic and long term medical conditions.
More information on the programme will appear on our website in due course.
