Adrian Bradley: Tackling COVID-19 related Loneliness

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2020 and 2021 have obviously been particularly challenging years. The EFL Trust and our network of 72 club community organisations have adapted existing programmes and launched new support services to respond directly to the pandemic.

With the support of funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, we’ve been able to reach and support 35,000 older people at risk of chronic loneliness.

People in the clinically vulnerable groups who were ‘shielding’ particularly needed our support. They were likely to become isolated and to suffer the effects of deteriorating mental wellbeing. Anxiety, stress, fear, frustration, and boredom have all been accentuated by COVID-19 related restrictions of movement, loss of social connections and activities, fear of contagion, and concern about restricted access to basic supplies and services.

Many club charities developed a telephone support offer during the initial lockdown period.  Many then experimented with remote delivery, often online but also group telephone calls and deliveries of resources to people’s homes to enable them to participate in activities from home like arts and crafts packs, exercise equipment and plants and seeds to grow. This actually meant they were able to engage with people who may previously have struggled to access face-to-face support.

We know from our data that we have made a difference. People overwhelmingly reported feeling less anxious, less lonely and felt happier about life as a result of the phone calls, socially distanced visits or postal support they received.

A football club charity is not always the organisation people think of to ask for help. However, the last twelve months prove that the magnetism of football works successfully in this context and we have been particularly successful with reaching older men.

Access to IT and the confidence or know-how to use it were a barrier for some people, but have not stopped us. Several of our club charities have loaned IT equipment and provided IT clinics or support over the phone. Retaining digital provision into the future will help to ensure there is a service for those who are anxious, nervous or not able to return to face-to-face activities.

Our next challenge is to emerge from the pandemic by helping clients to move from dependency on individual phone calls and visits to taking part in group sessions once they feel comfortable (whether they be online or face to face).

Our Extra Time Hubs are a key part of our ambition, an expanding national movement in which we bring people together in their retirement years to socialise, do things they enjoy and feel better connected. The effects of being physically and socially active can be profound.

We warmly welcome last week’s publication of Emerging Together: the Tackling Loneliness Network Action Plan. We have been delighted to be part of the government’s plan to tackle loneliness during COVID-19, working together with over 80 organisations from across sectors.

The plan, published on 8th May, sets out the actions that members of the Network and government are taking forward to support a connected recovery from Covid-19. Key actions include:

  • Bringing together funders interested in social connection to share learning and look for opportunities to align and join up funding.
  • Creating volunteering opportunities that build connection, particularly for people experiencing loneliness.
  • Exploring a range of opportunities to tackle digital exclusion.

We have big plans for the role we can play in the lives of older people and we intend to take the lessons we have learned during the pandemic to create a brighter future beyond it.

 

Adrian Bradley

Head of Health and Wellbeing

Distribution Of 3,000 Iftar Packs Celebrated With Sweet Deliveries For Eid

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Over 3,000 Iftar packs were delivered by Preston North End Community Trust throughout the month of  Ramadan. The Trust also marked that start of EID this week by delivering a further 1,000 packs of traditional Asian sweets to residents in Deepdale.

The Trust has worked in partnership with Preston North End Football Club as well as external partners Preston United, Community Gateway Association, Deepdale Community Association, Deepdale Councillors Bax, Coupland and Natha, Lancashire County Councillor de Molfetta and KGN Food Store to deliver the project.

The initiative has now concluded after more than 3,000 Iftar packs – traditionally used to open the fast each evening and containing fresh water, fruit and dates – were distributed through two stalls and doorstep deliveries being made in the Deepdale area.

Iftar packs have also been handed out at the Raza Mosque every Friday following the conclusion of afternoon prayers and further packs have been distributed by Deepdale Community Association. Goods included for the Ifar packs have all been sourced from KGN Food Store and then packaged together

Staff and volunteers from the Trust, Preston United and Community Gateway have been overseeing the stalls – one of which was located at the home of PNE, and the other at the Castleton Road and Holmrook Road junction – each evening and making the doorstep deliveries. With the celebrations for Eid now underway, the conclusion of the initiative was marked by a final night of deliveries of 1,000 traditional packs of sweets.

The Trust were also joined by the Mayor of Preston David Borrow to assist with the deliveries of the sweets in the Deepdale community, with traditional South Asian sweets typically enjoyed by the Muslim community as well as other treats for children.

Head of Community Engagement Rebecca Robertson said:

“Our Ramadan project has been an extremely humbling and rewarding initiative and we have been delighted to deliver more than 3,000 Iftar packs with the support of Preston North End and our external partners. The project has been incredibly wide-ranging, from working with local businesses, putting the packs together ourselves in our offices, and then going out into the community to deliver the Iftar packs and engage with our local residents in Deepdale, which has been an absolute privilege.

“It has been really important for Preston North End to get involved in this project, from our staff joining in with the fasting to stand in solidarity with those observing the holy month of celebrations, to meeting members of the community living in the immediate vicinity of our stadium. We have also visited the Raza Mosque following afternoon prayers every Friday during Ramadan, which has been a fantastic opportunity for us to meet members of the Muslim community and show our support to them while they are fasting, with the goodwill gesture of the Iftar packs.

“We are proud to have delivered more than 3,000 Iftar packs, alongside the additional 1,000 packs of sweets on the final night of deliveries – together with our external partners – and look forward to engaging further with our communities in Deepdale in the near future.”

For more information about community initiatives, please contact the Community and Education Trust by emailing [email protected] or calling 01772 693309.

 

Pam’s Story: “Extra Time Hubs has supported my mental health, especially through lockdown”

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The past year has been testing on many of the participants that our Network interacts with across the county. However, our Clubs and their charities have have made it their main focus to support all participants. One group that’s especially need help through this difficult period are our Extra Time Hub members 

Pam’s story is typical of the people who have benefitted from our the Extra Time Hubs.  Pam joined Crawley Towns Extra Time Hub at an already difficult time in her personal life and during the pandemic she was identified as needing more support.

The EFL Trust’s Extra Time Hubs movement brings people together in their retirement years to socialise, do things they enjoy and feel better connected. The effects of being physically and socially active can be profound. During Mental Health Awareness Week it is now more important than ever to highlight the impact your mental health can have on your life, relationships and jobs – causing you to feel isolated and alone.

Pam joined Extra Time Hub back in the Summer of 2019 after moving from Kent.  Tragically shortly after the move she lost her husband. Alone in a new area she felt very isolated. She used to be part of a number of clubs when she lived in Kent and was not used to being inactive which juts added to the sense of isolation.

When she joined the Hub she was unaware that it was associated with Crawley Town FC, and despite not enjoying football she was pleased to be able to meet likeminded people of a similar age with different interests. She said,

“Extra Time Hubs has supported my mental health, especially through lockdown through the ongoing weekly phone calls and keeping me physically and mentally active on the Zoom calls with the other members. This programme has helped to keep me sane; I’ve had my down days but the support from everyone has been lovely and really helped me to get back on my feet.”

Throughout lockdown and with the addition of Tackling Loneliness Together, the Community Development team, at Crawley Town Community Foundation have been working hard to support everyone equally to ensure they don’t feel isolated in this difficult time. Keeping in contact with them and delivering virtual sessions has been the best form of support.

See our extra time hub webpage for more details of what is happening near you.

FIT FANS Helped Me like Myself Again After I’d Tried to Take My Own Life

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In the hope it can help others, a brave participant from our FIT FANS programme wanted to share the story of how his anxiety worsened during lockdown and led him to attempt to take his own life and how Blackburn Rovers FIT ROVERS helped him like himself again. .

We have not used our FIT ROVER’s  name to protect his identity.  

“I had always suffered with anxiety and overthinking, however in normal times, playing football and seeing my mates was my escape. It helped me keep a lid on things.”

“Lockdown took all that away and without that coping mechanism, things started to get on top of me. To make matters worse, I had problems at work and for various reasons, my family life was difficult. Lockdown just magnified everything.

“I didn’t feel like people wanted me and things felt like they were spiralling out of control. At 3am one morning my anxiety would not let me find sleep and I decided that I’d had enough. I got up and took the car for a drive with the intention of taking my own life. That could have been the end but it wasn’t.  My wife had noticed I had gone and had phoned the police. They found the car and took me home. What I found strange was, even after all that had gone on there, that there was very little help. It was almost like it hadn’t happened. I was still alive and trying to work through my problems, but it seemed like no-one wanted to help.

“That was about the time I saw the advert for FIT ROVERS. I’d wanted to lose some weight for a while and so my wife suggested I give it a try. I signed up for the programme, but just before the first session I got cold feet and decided I didn’t want to do it. I made up some excuse about work commitments and suggest they offer my place to someone else. However, Martin from Blackburn Community Trust rang me back. Martin didn’t know about my problems but he was adamant that regardless of ‘work commitments’ he could find a way for me to take part. I met up with him at my convenience that week and he did my measurements and reassured me that FIT ROVERS was ideal for me.”

“That’s when things changed. Martin had no idea of what I was going through but the fact he was prepared to take the time to get me involved made me feel wanted and valued again. I can’t really explain what that felt like other than it gave me hope.

Taking part in FIT ROVERS was the best thing I’ve ever done. The sessions and workouts are brilliant, but the camaraderie and banter is even better. I lost over a stone and a half but even more importantly, I feel like I’ve learned to enjoy myself again and that people like me, which has made me like myself again.

I’d be lying if I said I am where I want to be mentally…. but I’m certainly well on the way to recovery and FIT FANS has a huge part to play in that.”

If you are experiencing any similar issues to those that our FIT ROVER has, please talk to someone – There are some useful information on this link to Mind’s webpage  that may help you 

FIT FANS  is funded by Sport England through the National Lottery

To find out more about Fit Fans

#NCSMatchDay celebrates the resilience of young people

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Today, our network of 65 NCS Delivery Partners will celebrate the resilience of young people, aged 15-17 that have made a huge impact in their community when participating in NCS (National Citizen Service).

Each year we use the power of our club badge to promote NCS and the impact it’s had on young people and the local community through a campaign called #NCSMatchDay. Given the challenging times this hasn’t been able to happen in its normal format this year however this won’t stop #NCSMatchDay going digital!

Throughout the day, Delivery Partners such as Portsmouth Football Club, Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire Cricket Club will share the impact and stories from their NCS programmes EFL players up and down the country will also be getting involved with recorded messages spreading the word on NCS! Follow #NCSMatchDay to keep updated.

In 2020 and during the most challenging times the EFL Trust and its network were able to give 15,000 young people a sense of purpose through NCS, giving them an opportunity to be at the forefront of the building communities back. They were able to find innovative ways to help tackle loneliness, rejuvenating community spaces and gardens and have been the driving force for positive change and leaving a legacy in their local communities.

Harry Day participated in NCS during the pandemic and has had his life turned around thanks to MK Dons Sport & Education Trust’s NCS programme.

After completing NCS Harry said:

“I now feel more positive to start college as I am now more confident. I have learnt how to express myself clearly and ask for help without being worried of being judged”

One year later, Harry now feels the “most connected he has ever felt” and loves to talk about his journey and use it to help and inspire others!

In Bradford last year there was a great example of NCS having an impact in the local community. A group of 19 teenagers who took part in ‘Keep Doing Good’ designed and created a mural for Bradford train station. The mural is a celebration of the diversity of Bradford and gives a more positive feel to the station!

Councillor, Sarah Ferriby, Said:

“This brilliant work by local young people is very positive response to these incredibly challenging times. I applaud their energy, enthusiasm and creativity in creating this fantastic artwork which will no doubt lift people’s spirits.”

Designed for 16-17-year-olds, NCS is an inclusive summer programme that helps young people get the skills, experience and self-belief they need to achieve their potential – and smash their future goals. NCS aims to make a life-changing difference to young people and how they approach life after school. In just a few weeks, they’ll mix with new people from different backgrounds, conquer big challenges, pick up some invaluable life skills and get the confidence they need to live independently. They will even take part in a social action project to ‘do good’ in their local community. It’s the perfect stepping stone into adult life– just ask the 600,000 young people who’ve taken part.

Places are limited to take part this summer – head over to www.wearencs.com.

Luke’s Story: Inspirational Birmingham City Student has Helped 100s of People with their Mental Health

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“I’ve seen friends go through hard times and struggle with their mental health,” says Birmingham City USW degree Student Luke Riley. “However, there are many ways to manage and improve your mental health – if only you can recognise the situation.” 

That is why Luke has made it his mission to raise awareness of mental health since 2018, when he was only 16, the inspirational student has helped hundreds of people by delivering mental health workshops. With the help of Birmingham City Community Trust, Luke visits schools, clubs, local business and teams delivering a workshop. Luke adds,

“I run the workshop for all ages from primary school children aged 10 to people in local businesses that are close to retirement age. Obviously, I tailor the message for each group, however, the part of the workshop which resonates most with all ages is when I draw from the experiences of my friends. That’s when people start to recognise that they might have a problem and come and ask me how they can get help.”

The initial spark for Luke’s workshops came while he was doing NCS (National Citizen Service) with Birmingham City Community Trust. NCS is an inclusive summer programme that helps young people get the skills, experience and self-belief they need to achieve their potential – and transition to adulthood. During the programme a number of sessions were delivered to young people giving them a wider understanding of life and opportunities they could experience in the future. A session with Tom Bates, a performance psychologist, inspired Luke to create his mental health workshop. He says,

“Listening to Tom just made me realise the importance of mental health and really empowered me to make a difference. So I spoke to Tom and developed the idea for the workshops”

After NCS Luke, who has supported Birmingham City from the day he was born, joined the University of South Wales course at Birmingham City’s Community Trust. For the lifelong Blues fan it was like a dream come true for him – doing his college work at St. Andrews and training at the club’s training facilities. During year 1 of the course, the students study modules including Football Event Management, Introduction to Sports Development, Introduction to Sports Science for Football, Football Coaching Theory to Practice, Technical Planning and Reflective Practice, & Academic Research study Skills. During his practical experiences on the BSc Football Coaching, Development and Administration degree, Luke has been able to interact with individuals of all ages and backgrounds, which has broadened his experience and further strengthened his ambition to help those in need.

Not only has Luke done great work with his the mental health workshops. Last Christmas, Luke and his girlfriend started a charity with the aim of raising money to give out as many selection boxes as they could, to give people something to open at Christmas. They raised around £450 in around 3 days with the support of Birmingham City Football Club and its Community Trust.

Luke is now looking forward to gaining his coaching badges and to go into the football management industry, whilst developing the charity they have set up. In the meantime, he will continue his work on the degree. He concludes:

“I want to continue to help raise awareness of the message that ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ and the best thing is to talk when you feel down. I want to deliver this message to people of all ages and to do my bit when helping others struggling.”

Emily: “I can’t put into words how County in the Community’s mental health football sessions have helped me, without them I don’t know where I’d be.”

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At the age of 12, Emily Edwards saw her life spiral out of control after suffering a traumatic experience.

The horrific ordeal totally changed her life and led her to go off the rails.

She said: “After the incident, I went off the rails for a few years and I didn’t go to school much. I got nine convictions and I was kicked out of everywhere I went.”

After joining Newport Girls U14s, football became an escape for Emily.

Her career very quickly progressed as she won Player of the Year twice and began to dream of representing her country.

She added: “It was my Dad that found out about Newport Girls U14s, so I joined them and started training twice a week and playing every Sunday.

“After what happened, football helped me shift my mind and block everything out. When I’m on the pitch I get into my zone and I feel like nothing could affect me.

“Everything in my football career was progressing well, I won Player of the Year twice and had trials for Wales U16s – I remember feeling so excited and ready to impress.

“And then I got the call-up!”

Two weeks later however, her dream fell to pieces when she snapped her cruciate ligament.

“I remember going to the hospital for my results after the MRI scan. I left the hospital and I just burst into tears – I was absolutely devastated.

“They told me I wouldn’t play football for two years.”

Unfortunately due to complications with her surgery, instead of having one operation, Emily over the course of two to three years, had to have three.

She was left bed bound and understandably, it all became too much.

“My life just spiralled again. When I was 19, I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. I spent 3 years in a locked facility to make my recovery.”

When Emily was released from hospital, she struggled with adapting to the real world.

“At the age of 19 I was 9 stone and fit as a fiddle, but when I left the hospital three years later, I was so unfit and had put on over 6 stone from comfort eating, medication and lack of exercise.

“I became so anxious to leave the house, I remember being scared of cars driving past and I would get panic attacks, because I just wasn’t used to all of the people.”

A call Emily’s Mum received shortly after from a friend about County in the Community’s mental health football session ‘We Wear The Same Shirt’ (WWTSS) may have been the most important call of Emily’s life.

WWTSS is a free unique pilot football programme designed specifically for adults with a mental health condition to play football and deal with their issues.

With physical activity being a proven factor to improving mental health, WWTSS serves as a lifeline for those in need of improving their wellbeing.

Emily added: “I remember ringing Norman at County in the Community on the Wednesday asking what footwear I needed to wear and I attended my first session on the Thursday.

“I can’t put into words how WWTSS has helped me. Without it I don’t know where I’d be. I probably would have been sectioned again to be honest.

“The injury still affects me and is on my mind when I play, but I can go at my own pace and there’s no pressure, still playing the game I have always loved.”

Emily, who is now 26, has developed a huge passion for coaching – gaining her UEFA C License in the process and becoming employed at County in the Community as a Football Coach and is now the Trust’s mental health champion and is involved in coaching the sessions that she used to attend

 “I want to show everyone that all of those things that happened were in the past and I’m so determined now to better myself and use my experiences to help other people. 

“I get up every day so happy to go to work because I enjoy what I do and helping others. If am able to help just one person with what I do then it will be so worthwhile”

“My life has a real purpose again and I can’t thank County in the Community enough for giving me a fresh start in life.”

 

Young People Leave Lasting Legacy in Leeds

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In April, thousands of young people across EFL communities gave up their time to make a positive impact in their area. Young people tackled issues such as homelessness, loneliness, the environment, cultural divides and mental health whilst taking part in NCS Action Day, a national movement organised by National Citizen Service (NCS).

One such project involved 9 young people from Leeds. They made a mural by using ‘Legacy Fund’ of £660 provided by the EFL Trust to design and create a mural which brightened up Beeston Junior Football Club’s home ground. The group of young people are all part of the NCS Changemakers Group with Leeds United, Yorkshire Cricket Club and Leeds Rhinos.

As a result of the hard work by Leeds Changemakers, Beeston Juniors and the community can enjoy the new mural brightening up everyone’s day. The colours are attractive and represent Beeston Juniors Football Club and Leeds United Football Club.

Beeston Juniors club house will now be used for NCS Changemaker meetings in which Leeds NCS providers will have access to. Other NCS activities will be based here which will set a great example for future NCS participants looking for inspiration when planning their social action projects. This means even more good work will come out of the project for years to come!

The mural, situated in the middle of a community, has already turned heads with many people complimenting the work done by the young people. Even whilst it was being painted, members of the public made comments such as “It’s looking great” and “Wow it looks so colourful!”

On the back of such a positive response, the group will now look to work with Beeston Juniors again to create other murals at the ground to ensure consistency and create an even bigger impact.

The project, described as ‘therapeutic’ by one of the young people involved said:

“It has been nice to get away from revision and do something in the community. It’s felt really therapeutic”

Another young person from the team, Jakaila, said:

“I feel proud that I have been able to do this and inspire other people in the community to take part in projects”

Burley Banksy, a local street artist who worked with the Changemakers to design and paint the mural said:

“It’s been nice to transform a building that was looking a bit tired into something bright and colourful for the community. It’s given the community something to celebrate.”

This is a brilliant example of a social action project designed and delivered by young people that will have a lasting legacy for years to come! To find out more about NCS, visit wearencs.com.

Young People Take Action This Weekend

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This weekend thousands of young people across EFL communities will be giving up their time to make a positive impact in their area. Tackling issues such as homelessness, loneliness, the environment, cultural divides and mental health, teens will be taking action as part of NCS Action Day, a national movement organised by National Citizen Service (NCS). Read more

Month-Long Ramadan Celebrations Taking Place At Deepdale

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Preston North End will be celebrating the month of Ramadan by providing free fresh fruit, water and dates for those who are fasting, with a gazebo to be stationed at Deepdale each evening throughout the holy month of Islamic celebrations.

Preston North End Community and Education Trust will be working in partnership with Preston United, Preston City Council, Deepdale councillors Zafar Coupland, Siraz Natha and Ismail Bax, Lancashire County Councillor Frank de Molfetta, KGN Food Store, and the Community Gateway Association to deliver the project.

A gazebo, which will allow those who are fasting to access free, culturally appropriate goods, will operate outside the community offices on Alan Kelly Walk at Deepdale. There will be an additional stall in the Deepdale area at the junction between Holmrook Road and Castleton Road – across from the MOT garage.

Members of the community will be able to access goods from 6pm to 7.30pm every evening from Tuesday 12th April until Friday 7th May, allowing them to open their nightly fast with culturally appropriate foods. The fast of Ramadan typically sees Muslims abstaining from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset every day throughout the holy month. Members of staff from each organisation will be on site at the stalls each evening too, and will be able to signpost those who access the stall to relevant organisations and support services if required.

All Covid-19 protocols will be strictly followed to ensure that the stall can be accessed safely by all members of the community and staff amid the ongoing pandemic.

Head of Community Engagement Rebecca Robertson said:

“We have been working closely with Preston United, our local councillors and the Community Gateway Association on several projects in recent months, and we are pleased to be continuing that partnership to mark the month of Ramadan. We have an ethnically diverse community surrounding Deepdale, which includes a significant number of people of a Muslim faith who live in the immediate vicinity of our stadium.

“Ramadan is an incredibly important time for the Islamic community and we hope that by providing fresh water, fruit and dates, we can support those celebrating Ramadan through the challenges of fasting. We’re thankful to KGN Food Store for their support in helping us to source the culturally appropriate foods for the benefit of the wider community. Some of our non-Muslim staff members will also be taking part in the fast over this period of time to show our support and acknowledgment of this important month. Our staff members will be sharing their experiences of fasting on social media, where we will also be sharing educational resources around Ramadan. We’re looking forward to engaging with our local community throughout the month of Ramadan and welcoming people to Preston North End in a safe capacity to support them as they fast.”

Omar Khan of Preston United explained the importance of Ramadan and why those of an Islamic faith fast throughout the holy month. He said,

“This Ramadan will be a continuation of the projects that we’ve been running with Preston North End in partnership with the Community and Education Trust. This year, we are celebrating the beginning of Ramadan by providing Iftar packs, which is food to open the fast. “Preston North End, working alongside Community Gateway, Preston United and local councillors Coupland, Bax and Natha, have come together to put food packs together and get funding to secure food packs for everybody in Deepdale. We will have three stations in Deepdale where people can come, take some food, and talk to the PNE staff. It’s an expansion of what the Trust is trying to do, to get out in the community and understand its community.

“Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is a time to reflect on how we lead our daily lives. It’s a very spiritual time. We fast on average 16-and-a-half hours each day, from sunrise to sunset. It’s a great time for us as individuals to reconnect with God and it is also a celebration of love and harmony within the community. It is also the month where the holy book, the Qur’an, was revealed to our Prophet Muhammad by God.”

For more information, please email [email protected].