For a lot of MAN v FAT gamers, stepping out onto the pitch after becoming a member of the programme is the primary time in a few years that they’ve kicked a ball.
However, after pulling on the boots once more, the lads usually get the urge for food to play extra soccer as their health grows.
Our MAN v FAT St Helens gamers are taking this to the intense, with an upcoming fundraising occasion in August, the place they’ll play for twenty-four hours to lift funds for the Sean’s Place charity.
Sean’s Place is a males’s psychological well being charity that goals to enhance males’s psychological well being and well-being throughout Merseyside, by means of assist particularly recognized to enhance confidence and shallowness for males while lowering melancholy, stress and anxiousness and suicidal ideas.
Debbie Rogers, CEO and Founder, stated: “”Big thanks to everybody at MAN v FAT for selecting Sean’s Place to assist. To have so many males selecting to participate to lift consciousness of psychological well being for different males and fundraise to assist our service is unimaginable.
“That is how we actually save lives collectively. Highest of luck to everybody collaborating, and thanks on behalf of all of us at Sean’s Place!”
To search out out extra in regards to the occasion, we caught up with Beck Phillips, who has had a profitable weight reduction journey with MAN v FAT, who gave us all the important thing data.
1) Inform us how the concept for the fundraising recreation took place?
The thought took place when one in all our lads, who’d simply returned from damage, was desperate to play, however we didn’t have sufficient individuals accessible that night. He was going to overlook the following session too, so it felt like we’d hit a little bit of a soccer drought. Somebody joked, “I might play for twenty-four hours straight,” simply to make up for the dearth of video games. That joke shortly became a severe dialogue, and we thought, why not?
A 24-hour match could possibly be an ideal option to deliver everybody collectively, get energetic once more, and lift cash for an excellent trigger. We put out a ballot to see if others have been on board, and the response was overwhelmingly optimistic. It was clear this wasn’t only a one-off thought—it was one thing everybody needed to get behind. And from there, issues snowballed quick, with native venues and sponsors leaping in to assist make it occur.
2) The St Helens membership has constructed a incredible group within the final couple of years – how have the lads bought behind this and different group primarily based concepts?
The St Helens lads are fiercely aggressive, however what actually stands out is how welcoming and supportive we’re as a bunch. We push one another to be higher, whether or not that’s on the pitch or in supporting native causes. We’ve all the time bought one another’s backs, and it’s that unity that makes us stronger.
As a membership, we’ve raised over £6,000 for varied charities and native causes, together with fundraising for Oddballs and Muscular Dystrophy UK. We’ve accomplished quite a lot of charity drives and all the time be sure that to rally across the group when wanted. Whether or not it’s a group member working an occasion or us collectively pitching in for an excellent trigger, we’re all the time able to step up and assist the place we are able to.
3) How did the membership come to decide on the trigger?
As a bunch, everyone knows how vital bodily well being is—that’s why we joined MANvFAT within the first place. However psychological well being is simply as important, and sometimes doesn’t get the eye it deserves. We felt it was vital to assist a trigger that tackles that aspect of issues head-on. After we seemed into choices, Sean’s Place actually stood out.
Their work is about eradicating boundaries and offering instant, non-judgemental assist to males throughout Merseyside—serving to to cut back isolation, anxiousness, and melancholy. After listening to their story and the way the trigger was arrange in reminiscence of Sean, it struck a chord with a number of us. Selecting them was a straightforward choice.
4) What excites you most in regards to the occasion and what do you assume would be the greatest challenges?
Before everything, what excites us most is the prospect to do one thing actual to assist Sean’s Place. If this occasion helps elevate consciousness, begins conversations, or makes a tangible distinction to even one individual, it’ll be value each aching muscle. Realizing that we’re backing a trigger that gives instant, life-changing assist to males who’re struggling—that’s the actual driver for us.
On prime of that, there’s the excitement of seeing the group rally collectively, particularly in these robust night time hours when vitality’s low and group spirit carries you thru. The most important problem shall be holding everybody going for the total 24 hours—however with the trigger we’re enjoying for, we’ll discover a option to dig deep.