HEE x Premier League Charitable Fund, mental health and wellbeing conference

An exciting collaboration took place between two unlikely partners at the beginning of March – Health Education England and the Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF).

The PLCF is the charity arm of the Premier League, with the aim of creating and developing activities for young people in their local community. Nearly 100 people from local football clubs and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), as well as colleagues from NHS England and HEE travelled to the University of Derby to attend the two-day event.

The event focused on mental health and wellbeing within Club Community Organisations (CCOs), giving them the skills and knowledge to deal with the range of mental health issues they see at club level. It was also about creating links between CCOs and local NHS services.

Attendees heard talks from speakers and groups such as Anxiety UK, Believe Perform, and Laughology, as well as from members of HEE. The closing keynote speaker was Cat White, who as well as being a gender expert for the United Nations, is also an ambassador for PAPYRUS, a charity dedicated to preventing suicide among young people.

Colleagues from HEE who attended the event said how “refreshing it was to see football clubs take a lead for their communities and improving that level of support we as a nation give to young people and adults in regard to mental health”.