Clash with Teddy Sheringham's side designated this season's One Game One Community fixture
MENTAL HEALTH will be the focus at Exeter City’s specially designated One Game One Community match at home to Stevenage on Sunday 11th October (kick off 12.15pm).A series of initiatives will take place including at half-time, the national launch of the new Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation as part of the celebration of World Mental Health Day. The charter is backed by the Professional Players Association, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, Time to Change and Mind. Exeter City FC will be joining 190 other organisations in signing up to the charter.
The Exeter City Supporters Trust’s One Game One Community Group and Exeter City’s Football in the Community team have been working in partnership with Mind in Exeter and East Devon and the national equality organisation Kick it Out to raise awareness of mental health issues at the match. The event also has the backing of the Exeter City Disabled Supporters Association.
Activities on the day will also include:
- The players and officials warming up in Kick It Out T-shirts with the slogan ‘Lace your boots for mental health’
- Specially-invited guests including people with mental health challenges, their families and carers. Members of Exeter City’s Ability Counts disability football teams will be present too.
- The Exeter City supporters group, the ExEC Club, hosting a group from Exminster based New Leaf, part of the Devon Partnership NHS Trust which offers therapy, training and supported employment to people living with a mental health condition.
- Stalls in Red Square promoting mental health services hosted by the local NHS Depression and Anxiety Service and by Recovery Devon
- Features on mental health in the official match day programme
- A bucket collection for Mind in Exeter and East Devon
- A new commitment between Exeter City Football in the Community and Mind in Exeter and East Devon to bring the benefits of activity to people accessing Mind in Exeter and East Devon.
Exeter City’s One Game One Community Ambassador Ollie Watkins said: "I am delighted to be supporting this initiative. Mental health is an important issue and we need to do all we can to raise awareness and ensure it is better understood and acted on."
Mind in Exeter and East Devon’s CEO Ruth Wells said: "We are so grateful to Exeter City FC in their commitment to work with us on our “Lace Your Boots for Mental Health” to ensure that nobody faces mental health difficulties alone and to harness the power of sport."
One study has found that, by increasing your activity levels from doing nothing to exercising at least three times a week, you can reduce your depression by 20%.
Exeter City’s One Game One Community group is part of the national Kick it Out campaign to promote equality and inclusion and counter discrimination in football including race, disability, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation.
About Mind in Exeter and East Devon:
Mind in Exeter and East Devon offer a supportive, safe and responsive space to create your own wellbeing. We are here for you with tools of recovery.
Mind in Exeter and East Devon exists to support adults with mental health difficulties along their recovery journey to a higher level of emotional wellbeing.
www.mindex.org.uk