Latest news with #walkingfootball
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
English soccer club part of initiative to ‘prescribe football' to treat mental health conditions
An English soccer club and a member of parliament (MP) have collaborated with a dozen doctors' surgeries to introduce football as a treatment for mental health in part of the United Kingdom. The initiative, which is called Football on Prescription, offers opportunities to play five-a-side or walking football for people over 50 with loneliness and mental illness issues, with the aim of reducing the need for medication. Walking football is a less competitive form of football that bans running and slide-tackling to make the sport more accessible. Advertisement Forest Green Rovers, who compete in the fifth tier of English football, are the club linked to the initiative and have also offered free match tickets to participants. The pilot scheme is available to people who see their doctor about mental health in around 12 surgeries in the south west of England, where Forest Green are based. Doctors and nurses will have the ability to 'prescribe football if the patient and doctor feel it could help mental illness or feelings of isolation', according to a release on Forest Green's website. The scheme will collect data as it goes to assess its impact and could be expanded if results are positive. 'Research shows that physical activity improves mental and physical health,' said Dr Simon Opher, the local MP for Stroud who co-launched the initiative alongside Forest Green chairman Dale Vince. 'We also know that social isolation plays a major role in poor mental health — and that community, connection, and shared experiences can help people feel less alone. 'This initiative brings those two ideas together. It's a form of social prescription — with football as the medicine.' In the most recent statistics from the National Health Service (NHS) in England, 2.1 million people were in contact with mental health services at the end of May, 1.39m of them with adult mental health services. From the same report, the number of adults with severe mental health conditions accessing community mental health services were at the highest since the start of 2022, the start of the reporting period, with 671,098 recorded. 'It's aimed at everyone struggling with their mental health, but especially men, who are statistically the hardest to reach,' Vince added. 'The leading cause of death in men under 50 is now suicide — and loneliness is often a key factor. Advertisement 'If a Saturday afternoon at a football match can help someone feel more connected and less alone, then that's a powerful first step.' (Photo of Forest Green players:) If you would like to talk to someone having read this article, please try Samaritans in the UK or US. You can call 116 123 for free from any phone
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
New £800k football pitch opens at Jersey's Springfield Stadium
A new all-weather 3G pitch which cost more than £800,000 has opened to Stadium in St Helier is home to the Jersey Bulls but the venue is also used by the nearby primary school and Jersey's walking football Minister Andy Jehan said it was it was time the previous pitch was replaced after it was put in more than 10 years ago."It's vital that we've got somewhere that people can use... on average around 1,000 people a week use this surface," he said. "We've also taken the opportunity to replace the floodlights, so we've got more power efficient floodlights - we're also doing some work inside and hopefully this will last us at least another 10 years."
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Walsall FC Foundation runs activities to help veterans
Armed forces veterans have been sharing their experiences at sports sessions set up to bring them together as well as keeping walking football slots have been set up by Walsall FC Foundation - the team's charity arm - which is also running coffee and chat sessions to support former armed services are signing up for different reasons, with one man taking part after undergoing a triple heart bypass, organiser Chris Springthorpe said."One of our younger guys that served is really interested in speaking to those that served before him," he explained. "That's really good for them to have those discussions." The initiative has been launched as part of events for Armed Forces Day, which takes place on Springthorpe said the idea came up last year, because although many ex-forces personnel take part, but the foundation didn't have any events set up with them in said walking football was chosen because it had already proved popular. 'Mental health benefits' A pilot is running for the next 16 weeks, Mr Springthorpe said, adding: "We have a lot of support for the armed forces already and we just want to build on that."According to the charity, about 2.2% of Walsall's population is a member of or veteran of the armed forces, equating to about 6,500 Springthorpe said the activities gave people something to focus on each week and a chance to meet people."Speaking to people that have been through the same as you can only benefit really, because you know they can see things from a similar situation to you. That's a really big part of it," he that to physical benefits was "brilliant", he said. "Adding on to that, the mental health benefits, the social benefits of building those connections and those new relationships, it's what we want to see." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Brighton woman recognised for inspiring growth of walking football
A walking football coach whose East Sussex team attracts more than 50 women has been hailed as a "lynchpin" in helping to grow the Hood founded Brighton & Hove Socialball in 2022 for what she describes as a "lost generation" of women missed out on playing only a handful of players attended the first sessions, the twice weekly sessions in Portslade now attract more than 50 a result, Ms Hood has received an award from the Walking Football Association (WFA) for her role in growing the sport, particularly among women over the age of 40. The 51-year-old began playing football with her father when she was young, but said she did not have the opportunity to play at school."Like many women of my generation, I couldn't play at secondary school or with a local club," she said."I'm so pleased it's different for girls now. Playing walking football allows women of my age to make up for lost time."The national grassroots award recognises the efforts she has made to build the team – all on a voluntary announcing the winners, the WFA described Ms Hood as a "lynchpin" in increasing the number of people taking part in the Hood said she was "humbled" by the added: "This award is as much for the members of the club as it is for me."We like to play well and improve our game, but the most important thing is everyone has fun and enjoys the wonderful game of football."
