FOOTBALL HAS A BIG ROLE TO PLAY IN THE WAY WE DEAL WITH ISSUES INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE. BEING THERE FOR YOUR MATES WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH – WHETHER YOU’RE PLAYING OR SUPPORTING, WINNING OR LOSING – CREATES STRONG BONDS THAT CAN GENUINELY SAVE LIVES.
CALM FOOTBALL CLUB
WHAT IS THE CALM FOOTBALL CLub?
The CALM Football Club brings together people who love the beautiful game, both playing it and watching it. It’s about positivity, generosity and reinforcement on and off the pitch. It’s for the fans. It’s for the players. It’s for football communities across the UK.
We’ll share inspiring football stories, we’ll give you chances to get involved in events, we’ll give you a platform to interact with other football fans and, if you play for a team, we’ll give you CALM kit badges so you can make your team a CALM Football Club.
If you join our Club you get:
- Regular newsletters with videos and articles about well-being, football and all things CALM
- An online community of passionate and like-minded mates and mentors through our Facebook Group
- Invites to exclusive events and football opportunities
- Access to CALM Football merch
Together, we can use football for good and to lead a movement against suicide.
MEET MARVIN SORDELL: FOOTBALLER & CALM AMBASSADOR
“Even with all the negative emotions I encountered, I always wanted to play football. The driving force for me persisting in this career came from a love for purely playing the game of football and nothing has changed since”
Marvin’s football career took him to the likes of Fulham, Watford, Burnley and Bolton, picking up England under 21 and Team GB caps along the way. Now recently retired from the professional game, he’s as busy as ever. Read more about Marvin Sordell.
MEET AFC OLDSMITHS: THE FIRST CALM FOOTBALL CLUB
“I’ve always felt if you can make one lad less frustrated through playing football, brilliant. This has the scope to lift thousands of football fans and those close to them”
Meet AFC Oldsmiths. A Saturday football team playing in the SAL (Southern Amateur League).
THE BENEFITS OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
“We have always known that football improves people’s health; this report quantifies exactly by how much, and also demonstrates football’s social contribution to players and society as a whole”
We know football can be used for good, but don’t just take our word for it. The FA’s survey of approximately 9,000 respondents, the largest study of this type to date for a National Governing Body in the UK, provides a look into the benefits of the beautiful game.
Over 12 million players participate in different forms of football in England. That’s a lot of people playing football. It’s clear that, on a cultural and societal level, football has an important role to play in the way we deal with issues including mental health, wellbeing and suicide.
Delve into the findings and find out more about the positive impacts of football.
WANT TO FUNDRAISE FOR CALM THROUGH FOOTBALL?
It’s super easy to support CALM through your love of football – whether that be through hosting a tournament or a match for us, or anything football related that doesn’t involve playing!
The amount of football events run for us is increasing all the time and we’re looking to help you as much as possible.
Our football fundraising manual has lots of helpful tips as well as personal stories of people who have run successful events for CALM, including: Giancarlo Gaglione who holds an annual football tournament for us in memory of his brother, and Richard who did a sponsored silence at his beloved Wigan Athletic. Download it here.
Let us know what you are doing to receive information and advice from CALM.
Check out all our football initiatives on the Football Against Living Miserably Hub.