Premier League Unveils £1.63m Health Project
A new £1.63m community programme has been launched by the Premier League that will see top-flight football clubs help tackle the many serious health issues that men suffer.
Funded by the New Football Pools, Premier League Health aims to help improve the state of men’s health, particularly in deprived areas throughout the country.
The project was created specifically to address the issues around men’s health following research by the Premier League that showed that men still have a lower life expectancy than women; have a higher incidence rate for cancers and suicide; are less likely to go to a GP or pharmacy; and don’t seem to want to participate in public health improvement programmes as much as women do.
According to the Premier League, 17 of the 20 top-flight clubs will be involved in the programme, working with local health agencies such as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to engage over 4,000 men.
The project will aim to tackle issues such as depression linked to unemployment, obesity and general poor physical health, as well as alcohol and drug addiction. It will target men aged 18 and over, with many clubs placing NHS health trainers within the stadiums themselves, taking referrals from local GPs.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore commented: ‘Only a few years ago football clubs were viewed solely as teams that competed on the pitch every weekend. A modern day Premier League club does far more than that.’
‘They now employ hundreds of staff dedicated solely to running an array of community-focused projects that are having an enormous impact. I am sure Premier League Health will go on to do the same.’
