Movember invests £4.2m in sport to improve mental health
If you haven’t already seen Movember’s Ahead of the Game (MAOTG) out in the world, you surely soon will.
That’s because over the next three years, we’ll partner with 50 new delivery partners who’ll help roll out the youth mental health programme to their teams and youth players, as well as the entire communities around them.
That’s incredible high-level exposure no one can put a price on. It means tens of thousands of young people will receive all the tools, skills and benefits MAOTG has to offer, at a time when youth mental health disorders are on the rise.
Paul Williams (Director of Young Men’s Health Implementation) said;
“We’re excited to be working in partnership with some of the leading sports organisations in England and Scotland, connecting our evidence-based programmes and research, with their ability to engage and support local young people, sports teams, communities.”
He continued, “Movember’s vision is to create a future where men, and therefore their communities, live healthier and longer lives. Movember has a long history of working with and through sport, but this investment marks a step-change in our ability to drive positive change.
WHAT IS MOVEMBER AHEAD OF THE GAME?
MAOTG is a mental health programme delivered through community sport. Through interactive workshops, it gets teams, players, parents, and coaches to understand mental health, build mental fitness and strengthen resilience, both on and off the pitch.
SOUNDS GREAT. WHO’S INVOLVED?
We're thrilled to announce big names, including foundations of major sports clubs like Manchester City's City in the Community, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Crystal Palace’s Palace for Life Foundation, Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust and St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation. They join the current squad of UK MAOTG delivery partners, including:
- Leeds Rhinos Foundation
- Everton in the Community
- Fulham FC Foundation
- Sheffield – The Eagles Foundation
- Hull FC Foundation
- Warrington Wolves Community Foundation
- Wigan Warriors Community Foundation
- Yorkshire County Cricket Foundation
All this added firepower puts us on the front foot against mental health. Particularly, when 1-in-5 children and people aged 8-25 have a probable mental condition, according to NHS England. While the number of people who say they have a mental health condition in Scotland has doubled over the past decade (with young people the most likely to be affected).
A MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO OUR LONG STANDING PARTNERS
Of course, all of this didn’t happen overnight. And it would’ve been impossible without the support of our long-time implementation partners, who’ve been crucial in getting MAOTG out across the UK. And better yet, we’ve committed to work together for the next 5 years.
Rugby League Cares is MAOTG’s official implementation partner in England and Wales. Since 2022, they’ve delivered the programme to over 20,000 young people all over England. But we’re not stopping there. RL Cares will get a further 68,000 participants onboard leading to better mental health outcomes and more mentally fit sporting clubs and communities.
Scottish Action for Mental Health have also helped us build a coalition of epic partners in Scotland – all united to take on mental health through sport. They’ve partnered with us to support 20,000 young people and their support networks; and aim to train and support 30 delivery partners to take MAOTG out into local communities across Scotland.
BETTER YOUNG MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UK AND WORLDWIDE
This work in the UK is part of a global sports health initiative that sees Movember partner with key strategic partners in its key markets with a focus on research, real world program delivery, and advocacy to improve the sporting environment and encourage individual behaviour change for young men.
While MAOTG is delivered to young men and women, Movember recognise that most mental health difficulties for men start in adolescence, and require identification and early intervention to ensure they don’t worsen over time. Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by the age of 14 and 75% are established by the age of 24, so intervening early is crucial to prevent more men reaching crisis point later in life.
Want to know more about our flagship mental health programme? Find out more here.