Throughout Saturday's fixture with Ipswich Town, the Club is celebrating the work of its official charity, the award-winning West Ham United Foundation (WHUF).
For those new to the Foundation's work, here is a quick summary:
- Delivering 35+ initiatives all year from sports and football development to health, education & employability
- Working across east London, Essex & overseas
- Reaching 50,000 people of all ages & abilities
- 92p of every £1 donated goes on helping people in need
- Aims to respond to need, unite our community and provide an environment for all to thrive
With World Mental Health Day around the corner on 10 October, today’s awareness fixture provides a great opportunity to share the wide-ranging initiatives provided through the WHUF’s services and provide further encouragement for more people to talk about their mental health and do things to help improve how they think, feel and act.
“We have a unique responsibility, having been anchored in east London for over 100 years, to use the power we have, the hook of football as the nation's favourite sport,” said Joseph Lyons, WHUF CEO.
“I like to say it’s our ‘magic fairy dust’ and by using this, incredible innovation and partnerships can be formed.
“One amazing example of this is through our partnership with the NHS and via our Advantage programme, recently rebranded to Talking Tactics.”
The Talking Tactics programme is designed to support young people by improving their confidence, emotional well-being, and ability to set goals.
By pairing participants with mentors who offer guidance and support, Talking Tactics encourages the development of positive coping strategies and promotes mental wellness through mentorship and personal growth.
Being one of the Foundation’s key areas of focus, mental health support is an issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds.
Through carefully developed programmes, individuals are equipped with the tools they need to manage their mental health, build resilience, and improve their overall well-being.
The Primary Care Network (PCN) project is another vital scheme that provides individuals with mental health support through personalised care.
“By working with partners from all sectors within our community, we will hopefully be able to offer more support to those in poverty, see a decrease in violent crime and reduce health inequalities across the capital,” said Lyons.
“If we can engage with individuals who are experiencing mental health situations, with wider audiences via our Club network then this is exactly what we need to do.
“The NHS were clearly in need of support and looking back now it’s such an obvious model partnering a Club Community Organisation with its local NHS Foundation Trust, to collaborate and tackle key issues.
“Fast forward to today, we have scaled a unique model across the country, with incredible results, and the next few years will see this grow even further and explore other issues outside mental health, such as employment.”
Additionally, through Premier League-funded programmes, the Foundation delivers a series of projects aimed at fostering positive mental health. These include: Premier League Kicks, Premier League Inspires, Community Hub Schools and Premier League Primary Stars which work with ages from four to 18, helping young people manage emotions, build self-esteem, and develop positive habits.
Furthermore, The Training Ground+ programme, aimed at young adults and supported by the Professional Footballers' Association and the Premier League, provides tailored workshops and physical activities to aid personal and professional development.
For older adults, there are initiatives including Walking Football and Any Old Irons, promoting sense of connection, social interaction, fitness and bringing together fans of the Club.
Lyons expressed: “Our vision is for an inspirational environment, a triumph of innovation, dedication, and grit, all the values that West Ham United prides itself on.
“The Hub is made up of many zones, which are designed to engage all parts of our community. This will include a brand-new Health Zone, in collaboration with our NHS partners, delivering targeted programmes to combat obesity, tackle type 2 diabetes, and support individuals’ mental health, to name but a few.
“Another innovation will be our Social Enterprise Kitchen, providing free food for our most vulnerable, while engaging and nurturing individuals from the care, homeless and judicial systems to provide the much-needed stepping-stone to long-term employment.”
Whether it’s through mentorship, physical activity, or educational initiatives, the West Ham United Foundation strives to create a stronger, healthier community by ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive, both on and off the pitch.
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