Leighton Baines talks mental health in football

Everton and England footballer Leighton Baines is helping a new mental health social enterprise The Mind Map.

Unit 51 in Liverpool hosted the initial launch with Leighton in conversation with BBC sports journalist Giulia Bould, discussing ‘Mental Health in Football.’

Founded by editor and mental health first aider Phil Bridges, The Mind Map is an interactive website with articles, videos, mindfulness, exercise and nutrition resources, which seek to normalise and de-stigmatise mental health and help young people navigate towards mental health services.

The Mind Map also provides mental health and media workshops for young people, starting with the delivery of a six-week media programme to the Merseyside Youth Association’s mental health group in April.

Phil said: “I have spent the past year developing The Mind Map with clinical input from Liverpool CCG and Mersey Care, plus young people at Merseyside Youth Association. The result is an engaging online wellbeing resource I’d liked to have given to my younger self.

“Our in-conversation with Leighton is typical of the work The Mind Map will deliver – aligning popular artistic and sporting talent with vital discussions about mental health.”

Keen to deepen understanding of their demographic, The Mind Map are also working on a research project with Liverpool John Moores University into the perceptions and experiences of non-clinical mental health support currently available for UK students.

The launch of The Mind Map includes an exhibition titled ‘Going Through The Emotions’ on weekends at Unit 51 until 8 April, exploring visual representations of mental health. From Jamie Reid who designed The Sex Pistols iconic album cover to Billy Childish, the show brings together eleven artists working in photography, painting, collage and design.

Head to the website for more info themindmap.co.uk