Publish date: 5 March 2024
Brentford FC Community Sports Trust has teamed up with West London NHS Trust to use the power of the club badge to tackle eating disorders in a football environment.
Brentford FC Community Sports Trust launched a new mental health project last night in collaboration with West London Community Eating Disorder Service, aimed at tackling the stigma associated with mental health and disordered eating in men.
Funding for the project has been secured by the local NHS Trust following a successful bid to the North London Provider Collaborative for adult eating disorders.
Delivery of the project will be based at the Community Sports Trust’s Community Stadium Hub, which overlooks the Gtech Community Stadium, and will be supported by onsite partners the Wellbeing and Recovery College.
Football and activity
The aim of the project is to use the Brentford badge, activity, and social contact to support men who may be struggling with eating disorders.
It will follow a similar model to BFC CST’s Football for Thought programme that supports participants to improve their physical and mental fitness with the support of trained football and talking therapy coaches.
According to the charity BEAT Eating Disorders, there are approximately 1.25 million people in the UK with an eating disorder, and around 25% of those affected by an eating disorder are male.
Myths and misconceptions
There is a stigma around eating disorders and myths and misconceptions are linked to the subject. As a result, men struggling with an eating disorder may not recognise their symptoms as an eating disorder and could therefore face barriers in asking for help and accessing support.
To mark the launch of the project, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust hosted an event on Monday evening at its Community Stadium Hub with former Brentford FC player and now Club Ambassador Marcus Gayle in attendance.
The event provided an opportunity to learn more about the project and included a screening of the award-winning short film Nexus, which was co-produced by West London NHS Trust, Imperial College London and Inner Eye Productions, with funding from the Burdett Trust for Nursing.
The film, which was co-produced with young people with lived experience, follows a young man named Matt whose eating disorder worsens during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the screening Marcus Gayle chaired a panel discussing the topic featuring men with lived experience and staff from West London Community Eating Disorder Service.
It is hoped that if the project is successful, it could be replicated and launched at other football clubs across London.
Using sport to address stigma
Dr Chris Hilton, Chief Operating Officer for Local and Specialist Services at West London NHS Trust said, "We are delighted to be extending our strong partnership with Brentford Community Sports Trust in this work. The Community Sports Trust is adept at engaging our local communities and using sport to address stigma and promote wellbeing."
Emily Donovan, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust said,
“Following Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2024 we are delighted to launch this new targeted provision in collaboration with the West London Community Eating Disorder Service.
“At Brentford FC Community Sports Trust we believe in using the power of the badge to engage seldom-heard groups. Working closely with the West London Community Eating Disorder Service we hope to raise awareness of eating disorders, and provide support to people, particularly men, who may have an eating disorder.
“By providing support at our Community Stadium Hub, in a non-clinical environment next to the Gtech Community Stadium, we hope to break down some of the barriers that prevent people from reaching out for support.”