Comic Relief and the Premier League today officially kick-off a major new £4.65million partnership that will use the power of football to help to improve children’s mental health and wellbeing across England and Wales.
Over the next three years, the partnership will put thousands of children and young people aged five-to-18 at the heart of a nationwide push for better mental health, giving them access to practical wellbeing tools, education resources and essential life skills, while tackling stigma head-on.
More than 70 children and young people from Winston Churchill School, Fulham Cross Academy and Holy Cross Catholic Primary school in West London joined Premier League and Comic Relief representatives to help launch the partnership at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC.
Led by Chelsea FC Foundation staff, pupils took part in a range of creative football-themed workshops, activities and tools designed to promote positive discussions around their wellbeing, resilience and mental health.
Sessions will be delivered across the Premier League Foundation’s network of football club charities – who are at the heart of local communities across the country – and will be led by teachers and coaches, who themselves will receive additional mental health training through the partnership. Throughout the initiative, football club charities will work with children and young people to understand the tools, resources and workshops they need to champion their mental health.
Working directly with young people to co-create activities through football is a key component of the partnership, with the aim of helping children across all age groups to develop their confidence and leadership skills. With research suggesting that more than two thirds of young people would prefer to be able to access mental health support without going through their GP [1], and stigma stopping many from speaking up, the initiative will use the power of football to foster an environment for young people where they feel comfortable in opening up and expressing their feelings.
Reflecting on the importance of opening up around your mental health and wellbeing, Holy Cross Catholic Primary school pupil, Ricardo said: “Looking after your mental health means how you treat yourself, how you speak to yourself, how you think and how you feel. If you’re feeling sad, don’t just keep it to yourself – give it to other people, tell them, because at least it can be shared and maybe they can help you.”
Comic Relief has a long and proud history of supporting mental health projects for almost 20 years, and first worked with the Premier League in 2002, when the charity launched its Sport Relief campaign. Since then, the organisations have used their shared belief in the power of sport to partner on a range of programmes that have supported young women’s leadership development, tackled social isolation and mental health stigma, improved health and fitness for over 55s, as well as enterprise education programmes here in the UK and around the world.
Olly Dawson, Head of Sport for Change and Funding Operations at Comic Relief, said: “Right now there is a growing mental health crisis among young people in this country. Tens of thousands are waiting over two years for support and stigma continues to prevent countless more from speaking up in the first place. We know that football – and sport more broadly – can play a pivotal role in supporting mental health and wellbeing, so it only felt natural for us to team up with our long-term partners, the Premier League in this unique way. Together, we are proud to be channelling our shared expertise and passion for supporting more young people through sport, and we are excited about what we can achieve together over the next three years.”
Nick Perchard, Premier League Director of Community, said: “This new partnership builds on the work that the League and our clubs have been doing through our Inside Matters campaign, at a time when supporting mental health and wellbeing is more important than ever. Through football club charities and their delivery of Premier League community programmes, we can reach thousands of young people and give them the tools, confidence and skills they need to thrive. Supporting young people’s mental health is a priority for the Premier League, and we are proud to launch this three-year partnership with Comic Relief to help make a positive difference.”
Alex White, Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, said: “Our network of 106 football club charities sit at the heart of communities across England and Wales, and we see first-hand the potential of children and young people to take charge of their mental health and wellbeing when given the right support and opportunities. This partnership with Comic Relief is about more than delivering sessions – it’s about empowering young people to shape the resources and tools that will support them, ensuring their voices lead the way. By working together, we can create environments where young people feel confident, resilient, and able to thrive, both on and off the pitch.”
