How a grassroots football club in Harborough is highlighting the importance of good mental health among its hundreds of young players

A grassroots football club in Market Harborough is putting its best foot forward to highlight the importance of good mental health.

Borough Alliance Football Club has over 400 youngsters as well as adults on its books as it continues to grow and thrive after 17 years.

And the outfit based at Symington’s Recreation Ground off St Mary’s Road in Market Harborough is determined to help look after its very own football family mentally as well as physically.

Lynda Meadows, the club’s safeguarding and welfare officer, said: “The emotional well being of all our youngsters, players and coaches is absolutely critical to us all here at Borough Alliance.

“Our message to everyone here is clear and simple – it’s OK not to be OK.”

She said they staged a special event at the club’s headquarters on Saturday (October 24) to showcase the national mental health awareness campaign.

“All our teams come along to train here from 9.30am-11.30am every Saturday morning.

“We encouraged the kids to turn up wearing odd socks and crazy clothes to mark the day out as very different,” said Lynda.

“We had a big green board – which we called a Pitch of Positivity.

“We asked our youngsters to put up their own messages, thoughts and comments and so many responded brilliantly.

“They wrote things such as ‘be kind’, ‘kindness costs nothing’, ‘smile’, ‘be happy’ and ‘be patient’.

“This all fits right in superbly, too, with the FA’s Respect campaign.

“We have our own fantastic little community here.

“We are right at the heart of Market Harborough – and it’s more crucial than ever to help look after our own children,” stressed Lynda.

“It’s great to be out in the Great Outdoors and to be playing such an amazing sport as football.

“But it’s also vital to think of our children’s mental welfare too.

“We are all living through a very difficult time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s particularly relevant and important now to talk to each other, to socialise when and how ever we can and to support each other.”

She said they have also raised almost £400 for Market Harborough’s HAB-Antibullying charity.

“We are thrilled to have generated so much money for them and we will go on actively supporting this brilliant organisation into the future,” said Lynda.

If you would like to find out more about Borough Alliance FC, you can check them out here: https://boroughalliance.com/default.aspx