Football plays a massive cultural role within the United Kingdom, with nearly 30 million people every year at live matches, not to mention the millions of people who watch matches in pubs and houses across the country regularly. Over the last few years, psychologists and other health professionals, along with FA Chairman, have acknowledged the significant link between football and mental health. With current figures suggesting that one in four people will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their life, it is massively important that as a community we learn to cope and deal with common mental health problems and reduce the stigma and negativity associated with mental health.

Poor mental health is one of the most costly factors to businesses and organisations, not just on a level in terms of staff sickness and absence for work but on a bigger level in terms of the cost to the economy for treating mental health with conventional methods. Aside from the cost, one of the main factors in length of time absent from work with mental health conditions is waiting lists, which are hugely extensive, due to shortage of staff and length of time treatment takes to be effective. However, much research suggests that physical exercise can be just as beneficial as traditional treatments, but is currently unavailable in most parts of the country.

A wealth of research has demonstrated that participation in regular football sessions can have a massively beneficial impact on reducing mental health symptoms in the general population and the research suggests that for individuals with current mental health problems, the benefits can be even greater. Based on evidence like this, the Football Association along with countless NHS trusts have gone about setting up football teams and activities primarily as a form of treatment for those accessing mental health services. This means that participants can be from a variety of diagnostic backgrounds, from mild depression to more extreme disorders such as paranoid schizophrenia.

Here at Boston United Football in the Community, we have forged strong links with our local NHS to try and provide a service for mental health users within the area. Richard Houghton or Lewis Wright from Boston United Football in the Community provides a football session a week for individuals in Boston who are known to the mental health services. We work in partnership with Dave Bayley and Nick Harwood from Lincolnshire NHS (LPT), who are both based with the Community Mental Health Team at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston. The service has now been running for about a year, with the numbers of participants ever increasing and the benefits clear for all to see.

In addition, Boston United Football in the Community hosted the first county wide disability league on 27th September 2009. The league is managed by Lincoln City community scheme and sees teams from all around the county meet up once a month for a day of football matches. This has massive benefits in terms of social skills, self esteem, sense of belonging and many other psychological gains as well of enjoyment of playing football.