NEWS
|
NHS should prescribe football to soothe mental health issues, says Andy Burnham |
|
POSTED 08 Mar 2017 . BY Matthew Campelli |
|
|
|
|
Burnham was the secretary of state for culture, media and sport during the last Labour government Credit: Twocoms/Shutterstock.com
|
|
|
|
The NHS should prescribe sporting activities, such as football, to people with mental health conditions rather than “just handing out anti-depressants”, according to Andy Burnham.
Talking at an event in parliament recognising the work of the Mental Health Football Association – of which he is a patron – the Leigh MP said that sport and physical activity “should have a much greater role to play in helping people regain a sense of themselves”.
Set up by Colin Dolan, the Mental Health Football Association is a non-profit organisation that uses football as part of the recovery process for mental illness.
Burnham said the initiative was “something we should be doing more of”, and added that the impact of sport was “probably underplayed” in terms of mental health.
“Football brings the benefits of physical activity but also brings that sense of belonging,” said the former secretary of state for culture, media and sport.
“It’s giving people a community to belong to and that for many people is sadly lacking.”
Improving the mental health of the nation is one of the key pillars of the government’s Sporting Future sport strategy, with clubs, foundations and governing bodies eligible to receive funding if they can demonstrate the benefit of sport to the mental wellbeing of people.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Burnham outlines Labour vision for activity-focused NHS
POSTED 13 Nov 2014. BY Jak Phillips
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham believes the coalition has failed to
tackle Britain’s inactivity epidemic and has pledged that physical activity would
be a priority under a Labour government.
|
|
|
Andy Burnham to headline ukactive National Summit 2014
POSTED 13 Oct 2014. BY Jak Phillips
Shadow health secretary and respected activity advocate Andy Burnham will
return as a headline speaker for ukactive’s National Summit 2014 next month,
one of several high-profile thought leaders due to feature.
|
|
|
|
Fitness Instructor
University of Brighton |
|
Salary:
£23,144 to £25,138pa
Job location: Brighton, East Sussex , United Kingdom |
|
|
|
IndigoFitness
We Create Training Spaces! We've been designing and delivering high quality training spaces for alm [more...] |
|
|
|
Alliance Leisure
Alliance Leisure Services was specifically
established to respond to the changing
development need [more...] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DIARY |
|
|