“This Topic Is More Important Than Ever” Patrick Foster & The Mintridge Foundation Share Mental Health Support Through Lived Experiences at Luctonians Rugby Club #28NOTOUT

A bold but powerful statement bellowed from the Mintridge Ambassador, Patrick Foster as he shared his harrowing lived experiences of addiction and mental health with the Colts players at Luctonians Rugby Club in Herefordshire to support them in life both on and off the pitch on 5th August 2021.  

Mental health and suicide awareness is improving; we only have to see an increase in articles in the news to see this rise. One such example is this Guardian article that highlights the impact of the Covid – 19 lockdown which and the rise in suicidal feelings among young people, something that we are determined to change through the Mintridge Foundation’s Max Hunter Fund.

This vital fund enabled us to travel to Luctonians, a club very close to our hearts at Mintridge, where Patrick shared his story with raw emotion and vulnerability. There was a very quiet room as the Colts absorbed the journey that Patrick has been on from being let go from Northants County Cricket through to the devastating impact of decisions that he made at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018. Key themes remained throughout about how we can all maintain and improve our mental health but remain true to the fun and close environment that team sport brings.

Patrick shared ideas, hints and tips on supporting your own mental health as well as others including a role model that can relate to say many in the room, Joe Marler and his “Big Boys Don’t Cry” documentary.

Other resources included:

Thank you very much to Alex Smith and Luctonians for welcoming us to the club to open up the conversation on this topic and we hope to do many more programmes in the future.

Thank you very much to Patrick Foster for your support in our mission to harness the power of sporting role models in tackling physical and mental wellbeing in young people. You go far beyond the role of an Ambassador (including your mammoth London Marathon Challenge later this year) and we hope you realise how much this means. For anyone that would like to sponsor Patrick, you can do so just here.

If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with elite athletes and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.

If you are considering supporting the Mintridge Foundation as a business, organisation or as an individual, head to our SUPPORT US page below.

The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport. 

Our team of Ambassadors  - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Fitswarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

The Mintridge Foundation

Unit 4, Shieling Court

Northfolds Road

Corby

Northants

NN18 9QD

Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106

info@mintridge.org.uk 

www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk

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