The West Ham United Foundation recently teamed up with Basildon Lower Academy to offer students a unique opportunity to express themselves creatively, while promoting mental health awareness.
The initiative, which saw students in the Foundation’s Premier League Inspires programme design training tops for West Ham United men’s first team players, was not just an artistic project but a powerful platform for young people to explore and share their thoughts on mental well-being.
The day was a chance to foster openness and support among students and reinforce West Ham’s commitment to breaking the stigma around mental health and promoting beneficial tools everybody can use.
Anton Ferdinand, a former West Ham United player and current ambassador in the community through the Club’s Players’ Project, was at the forefront of the event: engaging with students and emphasising the importance of discussing mental health.
“What the kids will pick up around days like this, is understanding that talking to people is one of the best forms of therapy that you can have," he explained.
“Feeling comfortable enough to be open and honest about how they're feeling, because a problem shared is a problem halved.”
The project saw students from years 7, 8 and 9 come together to design shirts for the players to wear during training prior to West Ham's Premier League home fixture against Ipswich Town.
Each design was personal, reflecting the students' own coping mechanisms and sources of happiness which assist their own positive mental health.
One student illustrated a sunflower, explaining that nature and the outdoors helped her to feel happy, while others drew things such as friends, family, music, animals and exercise, symbolising the variety of ways in which they draw comfort and relief.
Rebecca Rees, Headteacher of Basildon Lower and Upper Academies, praised the collaboration and the positive impact it had on the students.
“I think it's fantastic that such a big organisation and well-respected club can come in and work with the students like this.
"Getting to meet former players and having that chance to see that there is support in the community from such successful clubs like West Ham.”
The project pushed students outside their comfort zones, encouraging them to work together across year groups.
For some, this was particularly challenging, but it ultimately gave them a sense of accomplishment and personal growth.
Mrs Rees also highlighted how important it was for students who sometimes struggle to attend school to have an engaging and rewarding project that motivated them to participate.
“The work of the Foundation speaks volumes, just based on what we're doing today,” Ferdinand explained.
“Going into a school where kids can come and speak about their mental health, and that togetherness between the school and the Foundation is so important.”
The event showcased West Ham’s ongoing efforts in making a difference beyond the football pitch, demonstrating its dedication to addressing issues that matter to the community, such as mental health.
The day’s activities also gave students a chance to meet Anton Ferdinand and hear first hand about his own experiences as a professional footballer, and how he managed the pressures of the game and his own mental health.
In addition, it offered the students valuable insight into how important mental well-being is at all stages of life, even for someone at the top of their sport.
One year nine student shared their thoughts on the day: "Creating West Ham training t-shirts was such a fun and positive experience.
“It was also great to meet Anton Ferdinand who was really friendly and helpful, as were the rest of the people from the Foundation.”
Alongside the designs for the t-shirts for the players, students surprised Anton with his own design in preparation for Saturday’s awareness fixture where he would be continuing the theme and speaking to fans around London Stadium about mental health and habits they have that make them happy.
The collaboration with Basildon Lower Academy is part of the Premier League Inspires programme, supported by the Premier League, which uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-18 at risk of not reaching their potential, to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
As Ferdinand summarised: “By sharing their experiences, the students help themselves and the person sitting next to them and that's what these workshops are great for.
“To have our fantastic badge in a place like this, that shows that West Ham are committed, not just as a Foundation, but as a football club to something that’s important to everybody and something we are all committed to.
“A problem shared is a problem halved. We need to keep talking about mental health. It leads how we all function and act and so by learning more about it; seeing how we can help to improve it; speaking about how we feel whether it’s good or bad; we can help to make that difference in our own lives and in the lives of our friends, family, teammates and so on.”
