Haywards Heath football fans walk and talk to help men’s mental health

Walk and Talk MMH believe football is key to opening up the conversation regarding men’s mental health, raise awareness and prevent male suicide, which is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.

A group of football fans from across the UK descended on the football club’s Hanbury Park on Saturday, August 8 for a 24-hour relay walking challenge around the stadium. Lee Adams, founder of Walk and Talk MMH, said: “I went through a difficult period some time ago. I felt alone, isolated, with nowhere to turn, and was close to taking my own life.

“Five years ago I started walking to Fulham FC away games to raise awareness that one in four of us may suffer at some point in our lives, and I soon understood I wasn’t alone.

“I became motivated to turn my experiences into a positive to help and support others who felt the same as I had.

“People started to join me, and now this has become a huge movement of fans coming together from many teams, to let other men know that it’s ok to talk.”

The group believes football has the power to help men who find themselves in a position of loneliness and isolation.

Lee said: “Something as simple as companionship can save lives.

“Walk and Talk has seen many successes and has covered more than 9,000 miles to date.

“Stories of people who joined us on walks, who during subsequent depressive, and often suicidal episodes, reached for their phone and contacted the group, rather than doing something more serious.

“2020 began by building on those success stories, creating a community dedicated to look after each other, that was important to so many during lockdown.

“This was set to be the year we took things to the next level, but Covid-19 forced a hiatus.”

To find out more, email [email protected] or visit www.walkandtalkmmh.co.uk