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During November a group of staff from Football in the Community are running, cycling and rowing 60km to raise money for our CARE (Cancer and Rehabilitation Exercise) and mental health projects to further the impact of our work across Nottinghamshire. The 60km challenge has been chosen to raise awareness of the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour across the world.

Our Health Manager, CARE Programme Coordinator and Programme Officer, who will also be growing moustaches during the month to truly mark Mo-vember, will be completing the entire 60km distance on Monday 18th November at the Portland Centre.

All money raised will contribute towards the work of the CARE Programme, ran in partnership with Macmillan and CityCare, which is a group-based exercise initiative for any individual at any stage of their cancer recovery and/or treatment. From pre-op preparation, to during treatment rehabilitation, to simply enjoying well-structured exercise with like-minded people who share a similar journey, the CARE programme is there to support individuals living with and beyond cancer through exercise and the huge benefits this can bring.

At CARE we aim to create a strong and supportive exercise environment that enables participants to experience the physical, psychological and social benefits that physical activity can bring. We create a positive and supportive atmosphere that provides participants with a temporary escape from the stresses of treatment and recovery, but places participants in a position where they can interact with like-minded people going through a very similar journey, to increase relatedness in a warm and encouraging environment. Our exercise is planned in a way that is achievable for any individual at any ability level, but in a way that is fun and promotes enjoyment and ultimately sustainability of exercise in the long-term. Click here to see our CARE video: https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/community/our-programmes/health/care/

Our On the Ball project works with men over the age of 18 who suffer from a variety of mental health issues. Using football and the power of the Notts County badge to engage participants, we deliver positive mental health messages, help participants to understand their feelings and help them communicate. The project uses current, high-profile football examples in a half-time team talk to encourage participants to open-up about topics around stress, anger management, communication, depression and anxiety, amongst others. The project has been extremely successful, attracting large numbers of hard-to-reach participants, securing funding from high-profile charitable trusts and retaining participants who have a strong affiliation to the project. We have won awards for On the Ball, including the Football League Trust Award for Best Health Project and have been recognised as an example of best practise by Sportivate. Click here to see our On the Ball video: https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/community/our-programmes/health/on-the-ball/