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Leeds Beckett and Cambridge United tackle mental health issues
The university’s Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools has been commissioned to evaluate the success of a programme involving 650 secondary school pupils.
The League Two club spent six months working with high schools in deprived areas of the city to promote good mental health.
During the programme, children aged 12-14 took part in targeted lessons covering areas including wellbeing, social media and coping with stress.
Professor Jonathan Glazzard, who leads on research at the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Cambridge United to evaluate this innovative project.
“We are committed to supporting children and young people with mental health needs and this project aims to improve mental health literacy and wellbeing using the power of physical activity.
“We are determined to reduce the stigma of mental health using the transformative power of education.”
The project, Mental health, resilience and well-being training for young people in Cambridge, was carried out by the Cambridge United Community Trust (CUCT).
CUCT aims to positively influence the lives of 10,000 people annually, with a specific focus on sports participation, social inclusion, education and health.
Its aims include understanding the importance of mental health, resilience and well-being by using the power of professional football.
Players from both the men’s and women’s teams work with the pupils, taking part in lessons designed with Centre 33 – a charity providing counselling services for young people in Cambridgeshire.
Ben Szreter, CEO of CUCT said: “Due to the pioneering nature of this project, the monitoring and evaluation of the project is of utmost importance.
“It will provide a platform on which to evaluate the success of the project and its potential future expansion.
“The programme has the potential to be a pioneering and leading project in the field of mental health, resilience and well-being training for young people.”