Priory supports innovative football initiative which is transforming lives of mental health and addiction patients

Priory, the UK’s largest independent mental health and adult social services provider, is working with pioneering organisation Creative Football to transform the lives of people with mental health and addiction issues.

The partnership has seen hundreds of patients treated at Priory Hospital Kemple View in Blackburn benefit from being involved with football sessions and other activities alongside their clinical treatment.

The organisation was created by former Priory patient Wayne Beck, Paul Davies and Paul Hardman, who ran a social inclusion football league for the national charity Creative Support which Wayne and Paul participated in when they were both receiving mental health treatment. 

They wanted to provide a service that could complement people’s clinical interventions by using football as a way to engage and inspire patients in a safe, fun and therapeutic environment while developing networks of support and friendships.

Following initial funding from Sport England for a pilot across East Lancashire, the three of them launched Creative Football as an independent community interest company (CIC) operating from the Witton Park 3G Facility in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Initiatives include weekly social inclusion and ‘just play’ football sessions for people using mental health services, as well as teams participating in the Social Inclusion Football League which provides competitive football for individuals and community groups.
 
They also run two football groups – Blokes United and Girls United – aimed at people who are not under the care of mental health services but may be feeling socially isolated and suffering a deterioration in their general wellbeing. 
 
Alongside football sessions, the team host a range of other activities including cycling, walking and table tennis for vulnerable people – with all physical activities combined with access to advice on mental wellbeing, finances, housing, employment and education. 

As well as participating in activities, Priory patients also volunteer their time to help the Creative Football team with collecting donations, setting up equipment and preparing food and drinks.

Patients are also supported to complete Football Association (FA) Level 1 coaching courses, referees courses, mental health first aid training, cooking sessions and wellbeing training. The team also regularly host talks for patients and staff on their work.

Its model is now being adapted across other parts of the UK with the team advising others on how to set-up and maintain the programme – with the hope it will become an established national support service. 
 
The partnership with Priory was made possible through the involvement of members of the recovery team at Priory Hospital Kemple View, who supported Wayne’s involvement and began to participate in sessions alongside him and other patients. 

Wayne, who has bipolar disorder and has been involved with mental health and addiction services for more than 25 years, said: “All of us involved with Creative Football believed we could make a real difference by ensuring mental health support is seen as much more than clinical intervention alone. 
 
“That is not enough for anyone. Football allows us to do the simple things that can make a big difference whilst complementing the work of other interventions and is at the heart of our model. 
 
“Priory could see our vision and the backing we received from the hospital director Mags Gallagher, recovery team and so many others has been fantastic and has really helped us to move forward and benefit so many people.” 
 
Adrian Oldale, part of the recovery team at Priory Hospital Kemple View, said: “Creative Football has been fantastic for us at Priory. It is not only a good way of getting our patients active but it gets our staff and patients playing together which further cements relationships. 
 
“We also attend Blokes United sessions which Wayne started while still a patient with us and this has been a particularly good way to break down barriers in the local community where locals who attend play football with our patients with no stigma. 
 
“It also provides a chance for our patients to make friends with others who attend and a purpose for them to keep attending the sessions when they leave us and go into the community, with many going on to help set up sessions and others who help prepare food and drinks. 
 
“I don’t think I could explain in real terms what Creative Football has done for us and our patients. I know it will continue to go from strength-to-strength and I am proud we have been able to play a small part in supporting the journey.” 

Wayne added: “Regardless of the reason someone needs us, we create an environment that is safe, fun, therapeutic and where everyone shares an ethos of respect, empathy and support.  
 
“This approach creates a diverse network of support and friendships that many people haven’t experienced before. For some it’s the first time they are recognised for who they actually are rather than by their diagnosis. That is life-changing. 
 
“I truly believe Creative Football has now become an essential part of so many people’s lives and the aim now is to extend this far beyond Lancashire and ensure people across the country have the same access and opportunities – these are exciting times.” 
 
In total, Creative Football delivers 12 sessions in four areas of Blackburn every week for more than 350 people, costing £130,000 a year. The three co-founders, along with the fourth member of their team, former service-user Anthony Whittaker, are supported by 70 volunteers. 

The organisation is currently running a Crowdfunder to help towards costs with a range of rewards on offer for donations. 

Priory is currently supporting the organisation by funding an evening league session and its associated costs for a year.  
   
Visit the Priory website to find out more about Wayne’s time as an inpatient at Kemple View, a 90-bed hospital providing rehabilitation, recovery and secure services for adult males with mental health conditions and/or personality disorders. 

ENDS

Contact: [email protected]

About Priory and MEDIAN Group 

Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services. Priory treats more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. Priory also supports autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, the leading European provider of high-quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises: Priory in the UK with 290 facilities and 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people, MEDIAN in Germany with 120 facilities and 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients, and Hestia in Spain with 15 facilities and 2,100 beds caring for 11,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees across the group.