West Ham United has a number of initiatives in place to support young people on and off the pitch.
Youth Mental Health Day 2024, a campaign to encourage understanding and awareness of mental health in young people, led by digital mental health charity for children stem4, is marked on 19 September.
With youngsters growing up in a world unrecognisable compared to a decade ago, the challenges they face, both online and in-person, continue to evolve. According to the NHS, approximately 1.4 million children and young people have a probable mental health condition in England.
The theme for Youth Mental Health Day 2024 is #ControlYourScroll and aimed at equipping young people with the simple digital hacks and mental health strategies needed for a positive and safe online experience.
At West Ham, both the Academy of Football and the Club’s official charity, the West Ham United Foundation, have a range of initiatives with the aim of helping young people navigate their way through their lives and careers...
Academy of Football
Player Wellbeing Group
A collaborative working group who focuses on the players’ wellbeing and meet monthly to discuss individuals as well as groups and themes.
Life Stories
A pilot being run with the U15 and U17 cohort within the Academy discussing eight key areas. Young people are encouraged to to share information with teammates in order to have better support on and off the pitch.
Transition Team
A collaborative working group who focuses on the players’ transition in and out of the Academy. In the Transition Team, players receive coaching in Player Care, Safeguarding, Recruitment, Education, Performance Psychology and Analysis.
360 Hammers Programme
The Academy’s Life Skills (pictured, above) programme focuses on support and development off the pitch. Players’ wellbeing and mental health is the key priority in this programme.
West Ham United Foundation
Advantage
Advantage is a mentoring programme for young people aged 14-21 who have been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and do not meet threshold or do not want to engage with CAMHS, delivered in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust. Participants receive weekly individual mentoring support from a trained youth worker, who is in turn supported by CAMHS practitioners.
Premier League Inspires
Premier League Inspires (pictured, below) uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-18 to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life. The project provides secondary schools in East London and Essex with an engaging curriculum to support their vulnerable, at risk, and struggling pupils.
PCN Mentoring (Primary Care Network)
PCNs (Primary Care Networks) see integrated healthcare provided by community-based and NHS services to provide more holistic care to young people. Youth Mentors (Young Persons Link Worker) have been working with young people at risk of violence, as well as supporting those with other vulnerabilities, including bullying, mental health concerns, school engagement/risk of exclusion, and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
The Youth Mentor offers a supportive role to help young people engage in an open dialogue, explore aspirations, change mind sets, all whilst not being judged and in a safe space. The project supports those aged between 11-18. Mentoring consists of once-a-week sessions, for up to 60 minutes long, for around three to six months, which take place GP practices, schools, West Ham United Foundation sites, and other community organisations.
Premier League Kicks
Premier League Kicks (pictured above, with participants acting as ball kids at London Stadium) is a programme which uses the reach and appeal of the Premier League and football to regularly engage young people aged 8-18 (or those aged 19 to 25-years in structured volunteering) of all backgrounds and abilities in football, sport and personal development opportunities, with the aim of improving confidence and resilience .
Kicks also sees external providers run workshops on topics such as music and podcasting, cooking and recycling, while the annual Lyca Mobile Cup tournaments engages 700-plus young people from schools across east London, with the finals held at Rush Green Training Ground.
The Training Ground
The Training Ground is a football-themed personal and professional development programme for young people aged 16-25, and provides participants with core employability skills such as CV writing, job searching, job applications, networking, interview skills, communication skills, professional workplace skills, and employer insight experience.
The Training Ground is a structured ten-week programme delivered at the West Ham United Foundation which encourages and enables personal development and growth.
Community Hub Schools
The Community Hub School (CHS) project aims to support the Foundation’s partner secondary school’s students who are disengaged, demotivated, or facing specific barriers and challenges that means they are struggling, at-risk, and/or vulnerable.
Partner schools are provided with an engaging curriculum of interventions that help students with their attendance, engagement, and attainment in school, while Community Hub Officers (CHO) deliver bespoke activities and work closely with pastoral teams in their schools to select students for the correct type of intervention.