To mark the occasion, the Club’s charity has launched a bespoke new mentoring programme in partnership with the NHS for young people aged between 8-18 that present with mild to moderate mental health needs.
The mentoring offer involves 8-10 weeks of 1-2-1 mentoring, providing support and guidance, with the aim of achieving a positive mental health outcome for each young person.
Young people will be referred into the programme by M-Thrive Navigators, based in GP surgeries across North and South Manchester.
Jason El-Kaleh, Community Outreach Officer said: “Our new PCN mentoring offer is breaking new ground, utilising relationships within the NHS and RMCH CAMHS to offer holistic support for young people across Greater Manchester.
“Our mentors are embedded in the community, offering support and guidance to young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health needs.”
The new mentoring programme falls under CITC’s City Thrive programme, which aims to harness the power of football to normalise stigmatised conversations around mental health subjects through a mixture of educational workshops and one-to-one mentoring.
Jane Davis, CITC’s CAMHS clinician further commented: “I am delighted that CITC and RMCH CAMHS have been able to further strengthen their successful working relationship as part of this innovative project developing new pathways between Primary Care, CAMHS and CITC to ensure we support the mental health needs of children and young people at the earliest opportunity”.
Over the past two weekends, Manchester City has taken part in the Premier League’s first-ever Inside Matters campaign with the recent home match against Leeds dedicated to the campaign.
The Inside Matters campaign reinforced the League and clubs’ commitment to supporting the mental well-being of players, fans and those in communities, and encouraged fans to keep up the conversation on mental health by talking and listening to others.
