AN under-16s football club is raising money to support a Hampshire mental health charity.

The Hartley Wintney Falcons U16 will be raising money for Havant and East Hampshire Mind, whilst also raising funds for new season kit for the club.

The club decided to give something back while looking for a new shirt sponsor for the next season.

Team members will raise funds to buy their own kit, whilst donating matching amounts to HEH Mind.

The club will also show its support for the charity during the 2022/23 season by wearing HEH Mind’s logo with pride.

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The club hopes to raise £1,900 in total, of which £1,000 will go to HEH Mind, while the remainder will cover the costs for the new season kits.

The team has many activities planned to raise the required funds.

Several team members are completing fun runs in Hook and Yateley, while others will host exclusive art workshops.

HEH Mind is a growing charity that supports communities across the whole of Hampshire by delivering free training for sports clubs on how to access a variety of mental health services.

These services include wellbeing support, urgent crisis care, and helping to fight the discrimination that many are affected by.

Team members will work with the charity to become mental health ambassadors, supporting the HEH Mind Ambassador Within Sport project.

The charity’s ambassadors project focuses using the passion and kindness that often already exists the local community sports clubs.

Lorna Howes, sports club engagement and community fundraising officer for HEH Mind said: “We are delighted that the Hartley Wintney U16 Falcons have chosen to support our ambassadors project.

“We look forward to ongoing collaboration with Team Falcons and the Hartley Wintney Junior Football Club to champion mental health and raise awareness, whilst also helping to increase the team’s knowledge and confidence to signpost local wellbeing services when needed."

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U16 Falcons team manager Andrew Ewbank called the team “ideal ambassadors for mental health”.

Andrew continued: “I’m super proud of their effort to champion mental health as a team and even more impressed that they have done this fundraising initiative off their own backs."

This initiative is a first for the club, showing support for local mental health services and raising awareness throughout the season.

Further information about HEH Mind can be found on the charity’s website https://www.easthantsmind.org/. 

Meanwhile, more about the Falcons fundraiser can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/FALCONS4MentalHealth.

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