The City and England defender dialled into a City Thrive session, which provides mental health support for young people in Manchester.
He was able to liaise with CITC staff and participants, learning more about the project and discovering the impact it is having on young people across Manchester.
Commenting in the visit, Stones said: “It was good, really good today.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how knowledgeable the participants were about what’s going on around mental wellbeing right now and were able to speak about it so freely.
“This work is so important and it’s great that City in the Community has set this programme up, especially after such a tough time, and I’m all for it.”
Stones’ visit was arranged as part of City in the Community’s 35th anniversary birthday.
The programme itself utilises a blended approach, using football sessions, group workshops and one-to-one mentoring to educate students around mental health subjects whilst also equipping them with the tools to regulate their own mental wellbeing in a post COVID-19 landscape.
City in the Community’s Community Outreach Officer, Jason El-Kaleh, leads the City Thrive project. Commenting on Stones’ visit, he said:
“It was great to welcome John to our City Thrive session today – he really engaged with our young people in a meaningful way.
“The past two years have been tough for everyone in our city, with the pandemic increasing the uncertainty and change in our everyday lives considerably.
“With this in mind, we want to acknowledge the impact that this period has had on everyone’s mental wellbeing and help to support people across the Greater Manchester area by challenging the stigma round mental health conversations, whilst also educating our participants in the importance of self-care and other mental health subjects.”
