#YouAreEnough is a grassroots, supporter-driven mental health awareness programme that has been running for eight years at Dunstable Town. The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) are expanding #YouAreEnough nationally with the help of Mind. The aim is to promote mental health awareness and support, within football clubs and the local community ensuring that fans, volunteers and players know “you are enough and you matter”. #YouAreEnough – Football Supporters’ Association
This is very similar to the 1874 Outreach Project that was launched in the Autumn of 2019, just before the pandemic, and the Club is looking to relaunch it’s mental health awareness and support programme by participating in the FSA project.
How does it work?
Community-owned clubs are “matched” with their local Mind to build direct, local partnerships. Each club appoints a mental health liaison, who can then promote Mind’s mental health campaigns on the club’s social media and who can organise fundraising activities, in conjunction with the local Mind group. In addition, as part of the project, the local Mind group will train at least one person to become a mental health first aider. This role is mainly to be available to chat and listen, be able to signpost people to organisations that can help with support and to be a visible presence at home matches.
What is involved?
The FSA are encouraging clubs to identify at least one person to be the Club’s mental health representative. The FSA will connect this person with the Club’s local Mind group, facilitating the introductions and helping to launch the programme.
The Outreach Project in 2019 was very well received and it would be great to build on the work done at that time.
In March 2026, Maggie Coats was appointed as the mental health liaison. Her role is to be the link between the Club and Mind. Early discussions have taken place with North Staffs and Cheshire Mind and the FSA.
Mental health support is currently a hot topic and there are several initiatives in this area that we could potentially get involved with, including the Governments’ Team Up campaign, focusing on isolation in boys aged between 11 and 24 years.
Under the #YouAreEnough campaign, Maggie will also facilitate the training of mental health first aiders. Their role is two-fold. The first is being available to support our fans / players / volunteers, if they reach out for help. Typically, it involves chatting and listening to people and where appropriate signposting them to other organisations who can give assistance. The second role is about being a visible presence, we would like to have a Mental Health First Aider available at every home match. We already have some people who have done training through work or other groups, but the more the merrier.
We want everyone who comes to an 1874 Northwich match to feel safe and supported and to know that at 1874, we support the team and support each other.
