COPING THROUGH FOOTBALL

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COPING THROUGH FOOTBALL

• British Heart Foundation Conference
• 19th November 2008
• Alex Welsh
• London Playing Fields Foundation
• Alex.welsh_at_lpff.org.uk

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COPING THROUGH FOOTBALL

• Demonstrating how
• Protecting playing fields can improve lives
• Sport and health can work together on common
  agendas
• Sport can be a tool for engagement with hard to
  reach groups
• Sport can assist the recovery of the long term
  mentally ill

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WHAT IS IT?

• Coping Through Football is a project that
  demonstrates how two sporting charities can work
  with the NHS to produce a sustainable recovery
  model approach to engage with and improve the
  wellbeing of young to mid life adults who have
  enduring mental illness.

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PROJECT NEED

• People with enduring mental illness twice as
  likely to die from coronary disease and four
  times more likely to die of respiratory disease
  (Choosing Health)
• Waltham Forest mental health needs higher than
  national average
• Deprivation and ethnicity affect mental health
  rates
• Over reliance on medication as a cure
• Great difficulty in engaging with the client group

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PROJECT OUTCOMES

• To increase the physical activity levels of the
  target group
• To raise the self-esteem and confidence of the
  client group
• To improve the interactive skills of the target
  group
• To help the target group to re-engage with
  mainstream society in a meaningful way

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PARTNERSHIP WORKING

• HEALTH
• North East London Foundation Trust
• Waltham Forest PCT
• Capital Volunteering
• Sport England/NHS London

• SPORT
• LPFF
• Leyton Orient CSP
• London FA
• London Sports Forum
• for Disabled People
• Pro-Active North London

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WORKING UP THE PROJECT

• Sharing and selling the concept
• Contact and referral system
• Risk assessment
• Assessment and review procedures
• Developing a bespoke software package
• Appointment and training of staff
• Taster sessions and consultation
• Evaluation methodology
• Acquiring the funding (392,000)

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ACTIVITY PROGRAMME

• 2 x 2 hour practical sessions per week taken by
  qualified FA coaches who have undergone bespoke
  mental health awareness training
• Group visit to Leyton Orient FC home match once
  per month
• Exit route activity volunteering in sport,
  playing in mainstream football, attending FA
  coaching courses, other volunteering and paid
  opportunities

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EVALUATION
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CLIENT PROFILE

• 100 service users have attended sessions
• 88 Male
• 53 Under 30 years of age
• 55 BAME

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CLIENT PROGRESS

• 3 have returned to employment
• 4 have returned to academic studies
• 8 are now playing in mainstream football leagues
• 3 have completed a FA Level 1 Coaching
  Certificate Course
• 2 have completed a FA Level 2 Coaching
  Certificate Course
• 12 have voluntary roles within the community

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CLIENT FEEDBACK

• The group has helped me improve my skills,
  fitness, and makes me happy.
• Ive built up a lot of my lost confidence and
  broken many of the shackles that were holding me
  in my self imposed prison.
• Its a very friendly atmosphere almost like
  a family and I love mixing with other people.
  Being a volunteer is not just about football
  its doing anything to help the project.

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LESSONS LEARNED

• Partnership working shared vision, planning and
  working
• Coherent contact and referral system
• Accredited assessment and evaluation procedures
• Project coordinator with credible experience
• Working at the appropriate level
• Consultation with service users
• Going with the flow
• Sport as a tool for engagement
• Importance of being positive, proactive and
  persistent

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THE NEXT STEPS

• To continue to shape and refine the project
• To have the project commissioned within Waltham
  Forest
• To produce a toolkit and training package
• To promote the project in other areas of London