Wolves Foundation expanding its Head 4 Health programme
It was back in May that a survey from the Office for National Statistics revealed that depression rates had doubled in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also warning of a continuing and growing mental health crisis in the country, the ONS suggested that inequalities in society had worsened as a result of the pandemic.
Among the groups most adversely affected were young people, women, clinically vulnerable adults, disabled people and those living in deprived areas.
That makes it all the more timely that Wolves Foundation are now able to expand their pioneering Head 4 Health project previously focused on men to include a new programme for women, as well as one-to-one counselling.
The expansion is thanks to a continuation of funding investment from the Premier League, Professional Footballers’ Association Community Fund and City of Wolverhampton Council, which has been extended for another three years.
Head 4 Health was originally set up back in March of 2019 to improve mental and physical wellbeing in adult males, offering weekly workshops and drop-in sessions covering a wide range of subjects as well as off-site activities helping to promote mental and physical health.
“It is really great news to have secured this new funding and that we will be able to incorporate the new provision for women and counselling services as part of the overall Head 4 Health project moving forward,” says the Foundation’s health and wellbeing manager Rachel Smith.
“With these new developments we are only adding to the Head 4 Health programme already in place, nothing is being taken away.
“We first launched Head 4 Health because of the fact that men are three times more likely to take their own life than women and are also far less likely to access help and support that is available.
“But we know that women also suffer from poor mental health so it is important that we are now able to include them within the offer.
“The plan will be to keep the men’s and women’s Head 4 Health projects separate in terms of the sessions, but we will take feedback along the way and there may be some joint events in other areas such as music for example.
“The counselling element is also exciting as it is something we have never done before but there is certainly a need for it especially considering the difficulties people have suffered as a result of the pandemic.”
One of the early Head 4 Health participants Dean represented the Foundation in meeting HRH the Duke of Cambridge at the launch of a Heads Up campaign he was spearheading with the FA to change the conversation around mental health.
During the pandemic the Foundation adapted to offer a variety of ‘virtual’ support online, as well as – when restrictions allowed – meeting up for ‘Walk and Talk’ sessions as well as special projects including heading to music studios at Newhampton Arts Centre to record a music song and video.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "We are pleased to be able to support the further expansion of this very important programme so that Head 4 Health is able to help all adults in the city who would like to improve their mental health and wellbeing."
For more information, please contact mattcampbell@wolves.co.uk (men) and meganwalters@wolves.co.uk (women).
