Saints By Your Side
Southampton Football Club has today launched Saints By Your Side, a campaign to support fans’ mental wellbeing, as its first initiative in partnership with Solent NHS Trust.
Coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week (10th-16th May), Saints By Your Side has been launched alongside Solent NHS Trust to raise awareness of mental wellbeing and help tackle the stigma around mental health issues.
Throughout the week of activity, Saints By Your Side aims to encourage Saints fans to look after their mental health and normalise talking about the subject, with both current and former players getting involved and tips for supporters on how to support both mental and physical wellbeing.
Supporters will be provided with information on how they can support family and friends, as well as information about specialist services provided by the NHS and apps that are available. Fans will be able to access tips and information on the Southampton website after Mental Health Awareness Week has finished, providing a permanent resource for supporters.
As part of the club’s Social Responsibility, under its sustainability strategy, The Halo Effect, the club is committed to supporting its local community by raising awareness of mental health issues, with suicide being the biggest killer of men aged 20-49 across England and Wales - 75% of all UK suicides are male.
One in four people are affected by a mental health problem in any year – the club recognises the important role it plays in raising awareness and letting our supporters know it’s ok to talk about their mental wellbeing, particularly as many of our supporters know and care for people who are affected.
David Thomas, Southampton Football Club’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are delighted to be launching Saints By Your Side during Mental Health Awareness Week, alongside our partners Solent NHS Trust.
“We are committed to supporting our fans and the local community through the various initiatives as set out in The Halo Effect sustainability strategy, and we really hope that this particular campaign can offer some practical support to those who might be suffering from poor mental health at this very challenging time”.
Gordon Muvuti, Director of Partnerships at Solent NHS Trust added: “We are delighted to be working with the Southampton FC on this mental health and wellbeing campaign as part of our strategic partnership.
“The pandemic has affected everyone’s mental health in some way and our hope is to provide people with as much information as possible regarding what resources are available for support.”
You can find more information about Saints By Your Side and support available that is recommended by Solent NHS Trust by visiting the Saints By Your Side website. Look out for further initiatives from the club in partnership with Solent NHS Trust later this year.
Find out more about how the club is making a positive impact to lives in and around Southampton, including its partnership with RecoverMe to help raise awareness for people looking for support with gambling addiction, by visiting our Social Responsibility site.
