Walking the path to a better life

Mental Health Football have opened their horizons to a new sporting activity, looking to aid more in their journey to a happy and healthier lifestyle.

The Oldham based group have been providing sessions on a Friday evening over the last year to allow people to meet up for a ‘friendly game of football’ away from pressures and expectations.

This has proved a huge success amongst locals, with many attending regular sessions and meeting like-minded people in which they can share their stories with. However, with multiple lockdowns standing in the way of meetups, co-founders Ross Elliott and Andy Steel decided they wanted to embark on a new mission to ensure they could continue with their mission to help others.

“We have been looking to expand Mental Health Football for a while, the project has been a great success and we thought that it could work with other sports and activities. The basic idea is the same- exercise keeps you physically fit and it has a positive effect on mental health too,” Ross says.

But the idea really took off when attendees were encouraged to try and get out for a run, walk or cycle by themselves or with families when lockdowns kept them apart from their fantastic game of football.

“I’d go on daily walks with my 3-year-old daughter, and I loved it, we’d go out to parks, down canals and step away from the news and the TV,” Ross explains.

With this came the birth of Mental Health Walking, a group which will meet on a Thursday night to encourage anyone who would like to take part to take in the beauty of nature while also engaging in some friendly chats with no judgment from others.

“Mental Health Awareness week’s theme is nature this year and I think with the lives we all lead, it’s really important to step outside, get some fresh air and have a little release for a while, whether it’s walking, gardening or doing a sport you love,” he says.

The idea of this new group has been heavily supported by fellow Mental Health Football volunteer Heidi Flack, a mental health campaigner and a keen walker, who has seen the power of nature save her life- quite literally.

The team are now committed to sharing their lived experience regarding the benefits that outdoor exercise can have and cannot wait to begin hosting their new walking sessions.

Location details will be announced soon and anyone who may be interested in this project can stay up to date with the group’s social media channels, @MHW_Oldham on both Facebook and Twitter.

Ross is available to answer any questions surrounding taking part as well as the opportunity to volunteer on these handles also.