Nurse helps football charity promote mental health
A mental health nurse is helping volunteers for a football club's charity learn how to tackle mental ill health.
West London Mental Health Trust nursing education and practice development manager Sunny Daby visited Brentford Football Club's community sports trust last week.
Mr Daby offered advice on how to engage with individuals with mental ill health the sports trust's volunteers may encounter.
Individual needs
He said: ‘I told them that every patient has different needs, even if they have the same condition, and to be mindful at all times about the treatment they are receiving.
‘The activities the community sports trust offers are very beneficial, but different conditions affect a patient's desire and ability to join in.'
Brentford community sports trust runs various sports projects across three London boroughs, and has links to Hounslow Hawks, a football team run by the mental health trust.
Supporting recovery
The club was set up in 2008 as a way of using football to support individuals' recovery from mental illness. Former players have reported increased confidence, well-being and self-esteem.
Mr Daby added: ‘The community sports trust's work absolutely fits our remit to branch out from our hospital settings and help support good mental health in the community.
‘We are already in talks to run a follow-up session and I hope to see this elsewhere as it is an ideal way to address the disparity between physical and mental health'.
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