As part of Men’s Health Week, and our focus on ‘knowing the score’ with your health, we’re sharing the highlights from a fantastic community event that took place last month.
Following the success of last year, our Darlington Team organised the second annual walking football tournament, bringing local services and partners together to raise awareness of men’s health and wellbeing, while having a great time on the pitch.
Five teams took part in the over 45s tournament, with colleagues organising the day, running activities and connecting with the community. We were joined by our Pain Team and Flippin’ Pain alongside First Stop, a local Darlington charity providing social prescribing and support.
The event has raised an amazing £400 so far for Andy’s Man Club – a charity that provides free, confidential peer support groups for men across the UK, helping to open up conversations around mental health in a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Alongside the fundraising, the day was all about encouraging men to move more, connect with others, and do the things they enjoy – all key to improving both physical and mental wellbeing.
Hal Brace (Operations Manager) said:
“We know that men are less likely to access health services early (60% of our MSK referrals are for females) and also the stigma associated with talking about our mental health. We wanted to have an event that brought people and services together in a non-medical environment whilst having some fun and social connection”
Luke Pattison (event organiser and MSK Clinician) added:
“The Event brought people together in a relaxed and inclusive way whilst maintaining a healthy competitive edge. This supported physical and mental wellbeing, sparked conversations about mental health and increased awareness of services available in the area including our own MSK service and other local charities and organisations”
A huge well done to everyone involved in making the event such a success!
