User:FAD FC

FAD FC (Football's Awareness of Depression Football Community), is a registered Organisation (Charitable Tax Purposes number EW09058) which was set up in August 2012 as an internet based information source for Footballers experiencing Mental Health issues. The information provided is not to diagnose a Mental Illness but to help spot the signs of many mental health issues, how it can be treated and so on.

As part of FAD FC, founder Caroline Elwood-Stokes provided true stories to help players understand that they are not alone, the stories are also provided to give an understanding of how and why Mental Health Awareness is so important within Football. Sadly, so many lives have already been lost through suicide (through FAD FC's extensive research, it is found to be 49 suicides of Professional Footballers in the UK, dating as far back as 1913) and this is the main aim of FAD FC, to stop any more suicides from happening.

Since the set up of FAD FC, a lot has been learnt about the Football players who are at risk of suffering from a Mental Illness and FAD FC have taken on board everything they have learnt through talking to Football players and the surveys they have carried out.. This means FAD FC can keep on campaigning to make Mental Health First Aid training compulsory within the FA Level 1 Coaching Course syllabus. As Coaches are at the heart of the club, having regular contact with players, they are the most relevant person to be trained in Mental Health First Aid. However, until this has been made compulsory, FAD FC carry out lots of fund raising and rely on donations which is used to pay for Football Coaches to take the 3 hour Mental Health First Aid Lite course.

FAD FC operate a 24 hour support line for Football players, Coaches, Managers, Referees etc who wish to speak to someone outside of their club, about their issues.

FAD FC have recently expanded their work and launched their Equality & Inclusion Football Academy which holds sessions in Walking Football, 5 & 7 a-side Football teams and Mental Health & Wellbeing Tournaments.

FAD FC now operate throughout the UK, with branches in Yorkshire & the Humber (Head office in Sheffield), East Anglia, Wales and also have branches in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.

  