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 typically 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 acute, with an upcoming fundraising occasion in August, the place they’ll play for twenty-four hours to boost 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 nervousness and suicidal ideas.
Debbie Rogers, CEO and Founder, mentioned: “”Enormous thanks to everybody at MAN v FAT for selecting Sean’s Place to assist. To have so many males selecting to participate to boost consciousness of psychological well being for different males and fundraise to assist our service is unbelievable.
“That is how we actually save lives collectively. Perfect of luck to everybody participating, and thanks on behalf of all of us at Sean’s Place!”
To search out out extra concerning 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 sport took place?
The thought took place when one among 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 may play for twenty-four hours straight,” simply to make up for the dearth of video games. That joke shortly became a critical dialogue, and we thought, why not?
A 24-hour match may very well be an ideal method to convey everybody collectively, get lively once more, and lift cash for an excellent trigger. We put out a ballot to see if others had been on board, and the response was overwhelmingly constructive. It was clear this wasn’t only a one-off concept—it was one thing everybody wished 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 numerous charities and native causes, together with fundraising for Oddballs and Muscular Dystrophy UK. We’ve finished plenty of charity drives and all the time be certain to rally across the group when wanted. Whether or not it’s a staff 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 will.
3) How did the membership come to decide on the trigger?
As a bunch, everyone knows how essential bodily well being is—that’s why we joined MANvFAT within the first place. However psychological well being is simply as very important, and sometimes doesn’t get the eye it deserves. We felt it was essential to assist a trigger that tackles that aspect of issues head-on. Once we appeared into choices, Sean’s Place actually stood out.
Their work is about eradicating boundaries and offering fast, non-judgemental assist to males throughout Merseyside—serving to to cut back isolation, nervousness, and melancholy. After listening to their story and the way the trigger was arrange in reminiscence of Sean, it struck a chord with numerous us. Selecting them was a simple choice.
4) What excites you most concerning the occasion and what do you suppose would be the greatest challenges?
At the beginning, 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 price each aching muscle. Figuring out that we’re backing a trigger that gives fast, life-changing assist to males who’re struggling—that’s the actual driver for us.
On high of that, there’s the excitement of seeing the group rally collectively, particularly in these powerful evening hours when vitality’s low and staff spirit carries you thru. The largest problem will likely be conserving everybody going for the complete 24 hours—however with the trigger we’re taking part in for, we’ll discover a method to dig deep.
