"Imagine Your Goals" Mental Health Football Project
This project's parent organization is Everton Football Club / The Everton Foundation
It operates in United Kingdom
It uses Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport Team of the Year
More about "Imagine Your Goals" Mental Health Football Project
The ‘Imagine Your Goals’ project is a 3-year development programme that aims to use the power of football as a positive vehicle to address a number of different issues relating to mental illness. Several ambitious objectives have been set based on the following key themes: football participation, competition, raising awareness, inclusion and exit routes, volunteering, employment and research. Overseen by England's first full-time Mental Health Football Coordinator, The Everton Foundation have implemented 6 geographically accessible weekly training sessions, established Merseyside’s first ever mental health football league and has allowed many service-users to take up volunteering opportunities and gain accredited qualifications.
The project has enjoyed extensive media coverage raising awareness of mental health issues and helping to remove negative social stereotypes. Comprehensive research, led by service-users, has been carried out highlighting the impact of sport and exercise in relation to mental health. Service-users have also enjoyed many other social activities as a result of their involvement in the project. ‘Imagine Your Goals’ recently received a prestigious North West Mental Health Award for ‘Authentic Engagement’ at the Mersey Care Positive Achievement Awards 2009 and is now Shortlisted for the Sports Industry Awards, Europe’s largest and most prestigious commercial sport awards.