On Friday 31st December, The Duke of Cambridge took Heads Up to Everton in the Community, Everton FC’s official charity, which uses the power of sport to motivate, educate, and inspire. Through much of their work, they are working to change the conversation on mental health in their community.
Alongside both some Everton first-team players and club legends, The Duke spent time learning more about three of the charity’s main projects; Tackling the Blues, Everton Veterans Hub, and Stand Together.
HRH joined Theo Walcott and Jordan Pickford in a Tackling the Blues session, which uses games, physical activity and peer mentoring to support children’s wellbeing and encourage them to talk about mental health.
The Duke joined a group of first-team players to discuss the Heads Up campaign and the importance of encouraging people – particularly men – to feel comfortable talking about their mental health, and feel able to support friends or family through difficult times.
Club captain Seamus Coleman then took The Duke inside for a round-table discussion with Everton Veterans Hub, a project which uses sport to engage and support ex-service personnel.
Finally, The Duke joined Graeme Sharp, a club legend and now Everton Football Club Players’ Life President, Tom Davies and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to participate in a Stand Together session – Everton in the Community’s project to tackle social isolation in Merseyside. While looking through some iconic football memorabilia, the group discussed the vital support that the charity give to all of the community, no matter your age.
It was inspirational to learn about the work that the charity are doing in the area and how, through projects like these, they are supporting their community’s mental health challenges.