Important Update (August 2020): Man On! has now returned
What is Positive Minds; Man On?
Contact Taylor.Morrison@watfordfc.com to sign up.
Download the Man On! Referral Form
Man On! is a Physical Activity and Wellbeing Session for Men Aged 18-65. In total sessions are 90 minutes in length: 60 minutes of physical activity and 30 minutes of a conversation café. The aim of Man On! is to increase participant’s mental wellbeing.
Man On! is a year round service running;
Wednesday’s 12:30pm-2pm
Meriden Community Centre
Gartsmouth Way
Watford
WD25 9ET
(just off the A41)!
As well as running sport sessions, the Meriden Centre also offers art classes, music classes, gym facilities, employment workshops and social clubs. Other Watford CSE Trust Programmes run at the Meriden Centre which can offer a gateway opportunities upon completion of Man On!
We aim to improve participants wellbeing by increasing levels of physical activity through 1 hour football sessions and to also foster social inclusion and allow participants to understand and implement healthy coping strategies through sport. There is no emphasis on playing ability and all the sessions will be for participants of any standard. Referrers, carers and support workers can be invited to join in on the Football session or use the facilities present at the Meriden.
After the Football session there will be the conversation café, this will include workshops around wellbeing, group discussions of case scenarios and guest speakers from local services relating to wellbeing. The Watford CSE Trust would welcome any HPFT personnel who would like to come and deliver a workshop or presentation.
The average attendance for a Man On sessions has risen from 4-8 Participants to 14-18 Participants with 26 regular attendees. To sign up, please contact Taylor Morrison: Taylor.Morrison@watfordfc.com
Steven and James discussing how the Man On! sessions have had a positive impact on their mental health. Thank you to FC Not Alone for filming!
Testimonials
“I come to Man On as it gives me an escape from reality and to chill out and be myself for a while. I believe I am regaining some old skills that I have fallen out of due to not being active so much. I feel that Man On is helping me massively with my mental health as it gives me a chance to regain some of my lost confidence back and I am physically improving every week. I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Man On for allowing me to join as I don’t know where id be if it wasn’t for them.”
“The sessions have massively helped me. They get me up and going for the day and a purpose to try. It's the only thing I look forward to week after week.”
“Man On has helped me since I joined a few months ago. It has given me something to look forward to each week and especially during lockdown it has given me a sense of purpose to know that I am helping people by sharing what I have learnt in over 13 years as a PT with people who have had similar struggles to the ones I have been through with my own mental health. Exercise has been a huge part in fact it has been the main tool I have used to make the miraculous recovery I have made and I really feel that the man on project has been the last piece of the puzzle. Having a project like Man On to look forward to means I don't feel as down mentally from my physical ill health as I used to.”
“I have been coming to Man On since the beginning. It has given me reasons to get out more and to think about both my mental and physical health. When I don't come, I miss the team. Really more people should give it a go it helps. “
Lockdown
During the first lockdown we ran 18 Zoom calls for Man On! From 25th March to the 22nd July 2020 with over 14 people in total taking part with the temporary online support service. Alongside this we ran an extra two sessions of watching Watford FC live games on a call with members of the group.