Impact of CTF's expansion

After the first six months of the project’s expansion into Redbridge, Havering and Barking & Dagenham 150 people have taken part in our Coping Through Football sessions.  This is fantastic news and a clear indication that the project offers something special to service users.

Project Coordinator Sonia Smith has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the project across NELFT networks to ensure that all the local mental health teams know how to refer their service users to the project.  Thanks to her efforts 120 adults have attended the project since March and it is evident that the sessions are having a positive impact on their wellbeing.  As one service user recently said:

“My social life was limited before attending the sessions; I was too paranoid when socialising with others and so I never trusted anyone.  Now, I have overcome my paranoid thoughts and am able to talk to others and feel confident about this. I feel like I am surrounded by positive influences, which is completely different to my previous group of friends. I am rebuilding my life, I hope to eventually get a job and become more independent.”

With additional sessions organised for young people, thirty mainly 16-17 year olds have attended the project.  A third of these participants were female and several had never played the sport before, but with encouragement from the coaches and fellow players they have enjoyed practising their new skills and meeting new friends.