Thanks to grants from the National Lottery Community Fund and Sport England, Bicester RUFC is proud to launch our new Mental Health Programme. This is a first-of-a-kind programme at a community rugby club.
Working with our delivery partner, Street Games, Bicester RUFC will be delivering Mental Health Awareness workshops for all volunteers online, as well as in-person training to ensure we have qualified Mental Health First Aiders in every section of the club, from U5 to U16 boys and girls, U18 Colts, and our Senior Men and Women (Vixens) by the end of the 2020/21 season.
This training programme is just starting, and once complete, Bicester RUFC will be the best club in Oxfordshire – possibly even in the south east – for mental health support. We won't stop there. This is a priority for the board.
It is estimated that 1 in 4 people will experience mental health problems each year in the UK. For these people, the pressures and strains of life and work can act as a catalyst to mental health problems, with the most common being depression and anxiety.
The links between good physical health and mental health are well recognised. Playing rugby provides physical benefits which in turn is beneficial for mental health and wellbeing.
Find out more about how rugby tackles mental health.
Bicester RUFC is an official partner of LooseHeadz – a rugby movement to get more of us talking about mental health. All Bicester Members can receive a 15% discount on clothing and accessories from their online store when using the code: BRUFC. 100% of every purchase goes toward the LooseHeadz Foundation to help tackle the stigma around mental health.
