A men’s mental health group that runs sport sessions such as yoga, football and darts, has been used as an informal referral service by the NHS.<\/p>\n
Moreton Men Sports Group, based in Bury St Edmund’s, Suffolk, was initially formed in 2024 with 15 members as a six-a-side football team, but has grown to include more than 200 people.<\/p>\n
The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) said it informally refers men to the group, which includes members aged from 17-52, who do not need clinical intervention but \u00ab\u00a0would benefit from support within their community\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Adam Townsend, 39, from Suffolk, who started the group to combat his own loneliness, believed it could \u00ab\u00a0take some of the strain off the NHS\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Townsend said: \u00ab\u00a0Through my own mental health journey, I went to the doctors and noticed that there was a gap for support groups for men in the area, particularly men my age.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I wanted to tackle loneliness, and we feel like this group can do that. It embraces all people in the community. Whether you are new to the area [or] to the country, don’t have many friends or have loads of friends.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Through its activities and sports, the group encouraged men to talk and open up, Townsend said.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0There is a taboo about men talking. I struggled to talk to other men. This has transformed it for me, and for our members.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0When men are together, there is something magical about it.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0We are big idiots really, but there isn’t enough opportunity for us to be around each other and show that in a safe space where we can really let our hair down,\u00a0\u00bb he added.<\/p>\n
The group has grown and has two darts teams, multiple football squads, including an 11-a-side Sunday league team.<\/p>\n
Townsend said a running club and netball club were in the pipeline, but to extend their reach and ensure accessibility for all ages the group has now introduced yoga.<\/p>\n
Will Tovey, 28, from Suffolk, said he joined the group to meet people his age and improve his mental health.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The yoga takes your mind off everything, because you are so focused on the stretches. You can relax,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I moved here five years ago, so it has been really helpful to meet other young men my age. It’s so good for mental health. We do go to the pub after and just chat, which is important,\u00a0\u00bb he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jack Plumb, 38, also from Suffolk, said the group and the yoga has helped battle his loneliness.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0It really does make me feel better every week,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0You lose friends as you get older, and it becomes harder to meet people.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The group is an easy way to do that and it’s so important for men to talk,\u00a0\u00bb he added.<\/p>\n
Lewis Shepherd, 26, the captain of the Sunday football team, has a speech impediment and was recommended the group by a friend and said it has given him confidence.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The mental health side of things is why I joined,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I was going through a tough time. We have a good group of people that pick you up when you are down.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I find it difficult to fit into new groups, interact with new people. I get a little bit shy as you can imagine. But we look beyond that, and what you may have come through in your life,\u00a0\u00bb he added.<\/p>\n
Alex, 17, is the group’s youngest member. He has a rare genetic disorder called Townes-Brocks syndrome, which caused him to be born with severe hearing loss.<\/p>\n
He is the star striker for the six-a-side team and said the group have made him feel welcome.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0I love it,\u00a0\u00bb he said, \u00ab\u00a0it’s been really enjoyable, and the lads have been supportive. It’s fun first, and everyone is so friendly. We really feel like a family.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
His dad, Damian, said: \u00ab\u00a0His deafness makes it harder for him to communicate and socialise, but Moreton Men has been an excellent way for him to make new friends and enjoy his favourite sports – footy and darts.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Everyone in the group has made him feel welcome and helped him to improve his confidence and feel part of a team, so it’s been great to see him develop his social skills,\u00a0\u00bb he added.<\/p>\n
Townsend said: \u00ab\u00a0We are trying to enforce ourself into the system, because we really feel like we can take some of the strain away.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Cath Byford, the NSFT’s chief patient experience officer and deputy chief executive, said: \u00ab\u00a0Where a person does not require clinical intervention but would benefit from support within their community, NSFT will make an informal referral to the Moreton Men Sports Group.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0These community\u2011based connections are a vital part of delivering safer, kinder and better care, helping individuals feel supported closer to home while strengthening the overall network of mental health and wellbeing services.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A men’s mental health group that runs sport sessions such as yoga, football and darts, has been used as an informal referral service by the NHS. Moreton Men Sports Group, based in Bury St Edmund’s, Suffolk, was initially formed in 2024 with 15 members as a six-a-side football team, but has grown to include more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9974\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}