Premier League promotes mental health with ‘Inside Matters’
The Premier League has launched the latest iteration of its ‘Inside Matters’ campaign, aiming to raise awareness of mental health and encourage fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.
The initiative was visible at Premier League fixtures on the 10-11 May, ahead of UK Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May).
Research conducted by the Premier League highlighted that 82 per cent of fans believe football helps connect people, and 84 per cent state it helps start conversations.
To encourage these conversations, players and managers from all 20 Premier League clubs, including Brentford’s Christian Nørgaard, Newcastle United’s Dan Burn, West Ham United’s head coach Graham Potter, Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, have been filmed making a call to a friend or family member. These videos will be shared on Premier League and club channels.
To help fans access professional support, the Premier League has collaborated with Shout, a free, confidential 24/7 text support service run by the charity Mental Health Innovations. The League is providing funding for Shout’s helpline services over the campaign weekend and during Mental Health Awareness Week. Fans can text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 for support.
Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said, “Football has a unique ability to bring people together and spark conversations. We want to harness this power to encourage fans to check in on those they care about. It is important that we and our clubs use our reach to encourage more conversations around mental health.
“With millions of fans watching games in stadiums and around the world, we can inspire people to take positive action by talking to each other, which could have a positive impact on those who really need it. Our collaboration with Shout will provide support for people in need across the country and we are pleased to be working with organisation that does such impactful work.”
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