9th-15th- Mental Health week of Action. PFA. Mental Health Foundation – NHS – United Family Friends
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS ASSOCIATION PLAYER SAFETY IN SPORT AND SOCIETY
Memorial to Dalian Atkinson- Supporting United Families & Friends Campaign
You never feel alone
Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week 9-15 May 2022 – Loneliness
The loss of Dalian Atkinson, ex-professional footballer, raises the huge issues of listening and loneliness affecting more players, coaches, managers and their families in the UK. The Professional Footballers Association in alliance with the United Family and Friends campaign, aims to raise the huge impact on our physical, mental health and safety in and outside of the profession as raised by loss the Olaseni Lewi, and the implementation of Seni’s Law 2010 to address the following.
- Reducing loneliness in sport and society.
- Reducing issues that affect the safety of Professional footballer, allied professors and their families in relation to statutory legislation such as the Mental Health Unit Use of Forces Act 2018
- Raise campaigns around Suicide prevention.
The week will involve an social media campaign to raise the need to listen to loneliness for better well-being and mental health from a person centred approach, that addresses the complex range of lived experiences and the diversity of the PFA work force and their families.
The week will offer important guidance on models of duty of care and safeguarding responsibilities to families and friends, in memorial to Dalian Atkinson and Olaseni Lewis, to address issues of safety and mental health support.
Aims of the week – in collaboration with Mental Health Foundation and United Family and Friends Campaign
- To encourage players, coaches, coach educators and medical staff to talk about the loneliness in relation to the stresses and pressures, both physically and emotionally faced and to listen and survey their needs.
- To develop a Lived Experienced PFA mental health charter in terms of support that clubs should put in place to address the impact of loneliness and their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Health Unit Use of force Act 2018
- To develop video of the need to ‘listen’ and talk through-out the week
- To set up a counselling network for Families and Friends with a focus on diversity.
