Mansfield Town supporting men’s mental health with ‘Active Minds’ sessions

The ‘Active Minds’ group sessions, which will take place every Friday, aim to “promote inclusion and tackle isolation” through the power of sport.

According to figures released by the group men remain three times as likely to take their own lives than women, whilst statistics show that males are often mis-diagnosed for most common mental health disorders including isolation, depression and low self-esteem.

Mark Hemingway, Mansfield Town Football in the Community’s leader, said “Mental Health carries a massive stigma but what we’ve found through working with community partners on recent pilot projects, is that sport really unites people and unlocks those barriers holding people back.

“The group will carry no pressure whatsoever for people to talk about their problems, but will provide a safe and secure environment for them to do so if and when they feel the need to do so.

“The suicide rate in males particularly is alarming, and when you factor in the negative pathways which depressed males can slip into as a result of depression such as alcoholism, drug use and homelessness – there needs to be something in the community to intervene and help these males get back onto a positive path.

“This is what we are aiming to do through this project.”

‘Active Minds’ is designed to tackle those issues through two programs, ‘Active Minds: Sport’ and ‘Active Minds: Chat’ – the latter of which will be geared more towards those aged sixty and above, living with Dementia.

The group will run for 48 weeks, taking place every Friday at the One Call Stadium from 10am until midday.

It will be open for males aged 18 and above, specifically those suffering with issues such as low self-esteem, isolation and loneliness, depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness.

The sessions will start from Friday, March 1.