Harrogate Town AFC have embarked on a partnership with leading North Yorkshire mental health charity Wellspring Therapy & Training.
The League Two club, who have just finished the most successful season in their history, hosted Wellspring at one of their popular Pitch Positive sessions held at Rossett Sports Centre.
The Pitch Positive evenings, which involve five-a-side football matches followed by informal group discussions over coffee, tea and biscuits, are designed to promote men’s mental health and wellbeing.
Wellspring was represented by interim chief executive Nick Garrett and his colleague Robert Beaumont.
Lee McArthur, Activity Leader of Harrogate Town’s Community Foundation and one of the organisers of Pitch Positive, paid tribute to Wellspring’s involvement.
He said:
“I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Wellspring for the charity’s invaluable contribution to our Pitch Positive session.
“The insights shared by Nick were incredibly impactful for our participants.
"His candidness and honesty resonated deeply, creating an environment where attendees felt comfortable and empowered to engage in meaningful discussions about mental health, while information about the services offered at Wellspring were instrumental in guiding these conversations."
He added:
“Witnessing the genuine interest shown by our participants in understanding how they can support themselves and others dealing with mental illness was truly heartening.
"It speaks volumes about the importance of initiatives like yours and the significant impact they have on fostering empathy and support within our community.
“The session proved to be a rich learning experience for everyone involved. Participants actively shared their personal experiences and strategies for coping during challenging times, fostering a sense of solidarity and understanding.
“Once again, thank you to Wellspring for your time, expertise, and dedication to supporting those navigating mental health challenges. Your presence truly made a difference and we are immensely grateful for the partnership between Pitch Positive and Wellspring.”
Both Harrogate Town and Wellspring are now looking to strengthen this partnership next season, working together to improve mental health across the community.
Nick Garrett said:
“On behalf of all the team at Wellspring Therapy &Training I'd like to thank Harrogate Town Football Club for inviting us to take part in Pitch Positive.
"I'm very relieved I didn't have to play in the five aside match as my total lack of finesse would have shown up instantly!
“Talking and listening to the players afterwards was a good learning experience for me, people really understood what Wellspring do and the immense benefits we bring to adults, children and families."
Wellspring Therapy & Training is based at 78 High Street in Starbeck.
The well-respected charity, which was founded by in 2003, provides affordable short and long-term counselling for the Harrogate and district community.
Nick added:
“It was especially heartening to hear the support from dads for the work we do in schools.
"Football is a great leveller, you can be from any trade, profession or none and you're all equal on the pitch so it was brilliant to have the chance to listen to peoples' views on mental health and the services we provide.
“I'd urge football lovers in Harrogate to support their local team not least because match days are exciting, safe and friendly but also because of the incredible work the club does for so many people in the town.”
Wellspring offers affordable long-term, open-ended counselling where needed.
This type of therapy is not currently widely available from the NHS.
Looking ahead, Wellspring hopes to be able to counsel 220 clients by the end of next year, building on the 170 now on the charity’s books.
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