Southampton’s Guildhall Square will be transformed into a five-a-side football arena from April 28-30 to raise awareness about mental health.
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The Saints Foundation is teaming up with Southampton City Council and local mental health support organisations to host the event.
The council says one in four people will experience a mental health problem this year, yet many suffer in silence through fear of stigma, and this can result in people not seeking help before reaching crisis point
Southampton is using football to raise the topic locally and encourage residents to speak up about mental health and speak out against stigma.
Teams representing the city’s young people, adults and senior residents will compete alongside special guest teams from Arsenal, Norwich, Brighton and Belgian club Gent.
Intriguingly, a Southampton Labour Party vs Conservative Party match is also billed.
There will be a host of activities taking place for spectators to get involved with while they watch the action:
Saints vs Stigma Football Festival
Guildhall Square | 28, 29, 30 April
Saints Schools Anti-Stigma Cup
Friday 28 April / 12:00 to 19:00
- Nine local schools will be competing as part of the Kicks for Youth inclusion project
- Activities will be delivered by local service providers, charities and other organisations for young people to learn more about mental health
Saints Street Football Exhibition
Saturday 29 April / 10:00 – 14:30
- Special guest teams will travel from Gent, Arsenal, Brighton and Norwich to take part in a street football exhibition with two teams from Southampton FC.
- Elected members from Southampton City Council’s will compete as Labour Party vs Conservative Party
- Southampton Ukulele Jam will play live at 12:15
- Activities to raise awareness of mental health will be delivered by local providers and charities and community organisation
Senior Saints Shield
Sunday 30 April / 11:00 – 14:30
- Six local walking football teams will compete to showcase the benefits of the sport on physical and mental health
- Activities to raise awareness of mental health will be delivered by local providers and charities and community organisation
Councillor Paul Lewzey, (Lab) Mental Health Champion at Southampton City Council, said: “This will be the biggest anti-stigma event Southampton has seen so far, bringing together the Saints and local mental health agencies to get the city talking about mental health. This is crucial work as one of the best ways we can help people to overcome mental health issues and combat stigma is to talk openly about it as a community. Conversations about mental health really can change lives.”