West Ham United’s meeting with Manchester United, along with all Premier League fixtures this weekend, will be dedicated to ‘Inside Matters’ to raise awareness of mental health and encourage fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.
Inside Matters will be visible at Premier League grounds including Old Trafford ahead of UK Mental Health Awareness Week, between 12-18 May. The league and clubs will use this period to help promote positive conversations around mental wellbeing, as well as highlighting the work carried out in communities and to support fans with their mental health.
Research conducted by the Premier League shows how football helps to connect people and start conversations. The league is encouraging fans to use their love of the game as a catalyst to reach out to fellow supporters, friends and family and make a difference to their mental wellbeing.
To help initiate conversations around mental health, players and managers from all Premier League clubs have been filmed making a call to check in on a friend or family member.
Hammers Head Coach Graham Potter and captain Jarrod Bowen feature in the piece, each phone calling their brothers.
After his conversation, Potter explained the importance of checking in with others, saying: “Being inside your own head sometimes isn’t that positive. We all struggle at times with our thinking, with our thoughts. Sometimes they’re really helpful to us, sometimes they’re not.
“Sometimes that chat, that conversation with somebody else, and getting a different perspective, can be really positive. It’s helpful for the person receiving the phone call and for you as well, because we’re all socially connected and it’s a two-way thing.
“To have a dialogue and to be able to speak is healthy.”
To help fans access professional support, the Premier League is collaborating with Shout, a free, confidential 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling with their mental health, run by the charity Mental Health Innovations.
Fans can text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to receive round-the-clock support from trained volunteers, supervised and supported in real time by an expert clinical team.
Through the partnership, the league is providing funding for Shout’s helpline services this weekend and during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Football has a unique ability to bring people together and spark conversations. We want to harness this power to encourage fans to check in on those they care about.
“It is important that we and our clubs use our reach to encourage more conversations around mental health. With millions of fans watching games in stadiums and around the world, we can inspire people to take positive action by talking to each other, which could have a positive impact on those who really need it.
“Our collaboration with Shout will provide support for people in need across the country and we are pleased to be working with an organisation that does such impactful work.”
Victoria Hornby, Mental Health Innovations CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Premier League again as they offer mental health support to football fans across the nation.
“Taking the time to check in others can have a huge impact on someone’s wellbeing. Shout volunteers have taken more than three million conversations with people in crisis, and we know that asking if someone is okay can be the start of helping them to open up about how they feel. It’s crucial that we keep the conversation going.
“This Mental Health Awareness Week and beyond, our 24/7 confidential, anonymous text service Shout is available for anyone who needs access to the help and support they deserve.”
For more information on Inside Matters, click HERE.
