Template action plans
You will be asked to commit to three actions when your organisation signs up to the Mental Health Charter. We know that organisations work in different ways and some signatories have told us that they’d find a template action plan helpful, so we’ve created some. Some ideas for action are suggested but these are just examples of what could be done. Some are small steps and others much bigger, some look internally within your organisation and others deliver externally.
Take a look at the most appropriate plan for your organisation:
Action plan for a national governing body
Action plan for a players association
Action plan for community & grassroots clubs and projects
Action plan for leisure providers
Action plan for education settings
We want to help you to take action but due to limited resources we can only offer tailored advice to national governing bodies or players associations. Please send completed plans to sport@mind.org.uk and an expert at Mind will offer feedback.
However, if you are a club, project or education setting and have done an action plan please still let us know so that we can capture it to help us demonstrate the impact of work done under the Charter banner.
We will then check in with you to see how you’re doing.
Examples of action plans
Some signatories have shared their experiences of developing action plans through blogs:
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Some signatories have also agreed to share their action plans to help others develop their own. Please take a look and we hope you are inspired to take your own action:
Child Protection in Sport Unit
Edinburgh University Sports Union
Leicestershire and Rutland Sport
Professional Cricketers Association
Professional Players Federation
Case studies
We want to share what positive action our signatories are taking around mental health so we asked them to let us post some case studies:
Professional Cricketers' Association
Tyne Metropolitan College - Safe, Fit & Well
England Athletics - RunAndTalk
ukactive and The Mix - Charity of the Year
Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind & British Canoeing - Get Set To Go Canoeing
England Golf – Golf: game for all
English Karate Council – Bob’s story
Karate Union Great Britain – World Mental Health Day
Table Tennis England – What we’ve done so far
Time to Talk Wales – We wear the same shirt
Rounders England - How does rounders help mental wellbeing
StreetGames - Safe, Fit & Well
Small Heath Boxing Club: Mind Fit Campaign
Karate Union of Great Britain: Chelmsford Karate Club
Start Again Project: Healthy Lifestyles programme
Accessible Tennis Community Interest Company: Tennis Recovery Group
In addition, Charter signatories showcased some of the great work that has taken place under the Charter banner. You can read their case studies here.
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association: Your Cue to Talk
Rugby Players Association: Lift the Weight
Professional Cricket Association: Mind Matters
Parkour: Freerunning for Mental Health
British Canoeing: Get Set to Go
Amateur Swimming Association: Dementia Friendly Swimming
Ambassadors
Figures from a diverse range of sports provided us with their thoughts on, and support for, the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation.
Marcus Trescothick - Somerset and England Cricketer
as a sector with the capacity to reach so many, there are still more opportunities to create new initiatives which can help to educate and involve people in physical activity as a means of coping and restoring their mental health. In order to break down the stigma, the sport and recreation sector has and will continue to work together to action the objectives of the Charter.
"A sporting environment can be a catalyst for the raising of issues but it can also be one of the most powerful when it comes to providing assistance to those in need. Which is why it is so important that we raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and its vital bond with mental health.”
Kelly Smith MBE - Arsenal and England Footballer
“It is vital we continue this open and honest debate around mental health, who it affects and the factors surrounding it. The Charter is a good way of keeping the debate alive and gets my full support.”
Leon McKenzie - Super Middleweight Boxer and Ex-Professional Footballer
"We know that sport can be great for both physical and mental health and, as an athlete myself, I am supporting the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation and am calling for more money to be pumped into sports programmes, to help improve the wellbeing of the nation."
Mark Allen - World Number 9 ranked snooker player
“Snooker is one of the most psychological sports that you can play so anything to support the players is to be welcomed. It is definitely a positive development to see that the WPBSA have signed up to support the Mental Health Charter as it is a very important issue within the professional game in particular.”
You can help spread the word about the Charter using the guidance from Mental Health Charter Champions, Ambassadors and Case Studies.
