Common Goal Launches Mental Health Initiative

A number of England international footballers have come together to form Create the Space, the largest player-led mental health movement in football.

Described as ‘a collective initiative to equip football at all levels with the knowledge, skills and resources to understand, prevent and deal with mental health issues,’ Create the Space will be led by pledge-based charitable movement Common Goal.

Tottenham Hotspur acting-captain, Molly Bartrip, England and Chelsea FC left-back, Ben Chilwell, England and Arsenal forward, Beth Mead, Viv Miedema, the Netherlands and Arsenal striker, and the former Watford, Bolton Wanderers and England U21 forward, Marvin Sordell, have called on athletes, clubs and football stakeholders to join the initiative.

Through Create the Space, Common Goal will develop a holistic approach involving the whole football ecosystem, both top-down, from club executives, industry leaders, first team managers and elite players, and also bottom-up, from community organisations, fan groups and academies.

The charity is set to team up with Football Beyond Borders in the UK to pilot an integrated, experiential and holistic programme to empower ‘mental health champions’, ensuring that individuals throughout the football ecosystem are equipped to be supportive on and off the pitch.  

Alongside Football Beyond Borders, Common Goal is also working with other leading community organisations who work with thousands of youth participants at high risk of exclusion such as Street League, Girls United and Bloomsbury Football. Common Goal has also worked in collaboration with leading mental health experts and institutions in the UK, US and globally. 

Ben Chilwell, Chelsea and England left-back, commented, “I have had my own mental health journey and I felt unsure about where to turn to for support. It’s down to our generation to change this and ensure that throughout football, all the way from the elite level to young people in community organisations, we have each other’s backs and we’re equipped with the tools to help ourselves and those around us.

“We need to move from talking about mental health to taking action, and Create the Space provides the platform for everyone wishing to take action to play a role in tackling mental health issues, whether they are playing in the Premier league, in the playground, or in the park.”

Beth Mead, 28, Arsenal and England international, added, “In January I lost my Mum and because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place. Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark. It’s been a tough process to understand. Teammates, people at the club, family and friends that supported me were so important, without them I could have been in a far darker place.

“I want to help create an environment in which it’s totally normal to address mental health. There’s not a perfect way of dealing with it, but if you feel you’re not alone it helps so much. We need to normalise mental health and in doing so that would go a long way.”.

For the UK launch, Create the Space is being supported by the creative consultancy Revolt and communication agency Limitless.