The Duke of Cambridge, President of the Football Association (FA), will visit Everton in the Community on Thursday 30 January as part of the Heads Up Campaign, to find out more about the charity’s work in the field of mental health.
The Club’s official charity uses the power of sport to motivate, educate and inspire, and is an exemplary model of a club harnessing its influence to support its fans and address key social issues affecting the local community. The Duke will visit three Everton in the Community projects which each provide crucial mental health support to different sectors of society – Stand Together, a programme which tackles social isolation amongst those aged 70+ living in Merseyside; Everton Veterans Hub, a project which uses sport to engage and support ex-service personnel; and Tackling the Blues, a sport and education-based programme targeting children and young people experiencing mental health challenges.
During the visit, His Royal Highness will also discuss the Heads Up campaign with a number of the Club’s first team players, and the importance of encouraging more people – particularly men – to feel comfortable talking about their mental health, and feel able to support friends or family through difficult times.
Richard Kenyon, Chief Executive of EitC, said: "We look forward to welcoming The Duke of Cambridge to Liverpool 4 to find out more about our charity and our mental health provision for our local community. It is a great honour for both Everton in the Community and the Football Club for our work in this field to be recognised by His Royal Highness.
"We’re incredibly proud to be hosting this visit which I believe is a real testament to the unwavering dedication, hard-work and commitment of our staff, volunteers and participants.”
Heads Up is a season-long campaign spearheaded by The Duke of Cambridge which uses the influence and popularity of football to show the nation that mental health is just as important as physical health. It supports the important work which is already taking place across the UK to end the stigma surrounding mental health, and strives to raise awareness, spark conversation and signpost to support.
