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Moray’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport

A project stemmed from Active Recovery Moray

Introduction:

Moray’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport originated from the vision of Active Recovery Moray. After consultations with partners including NHS Grampian, Social Work, and Arrows in the Spring of 2023, the Community Sports Hub Team identified that local sports coaches are often the first individuals who are contacted or made aware when one of their club members is struggling to maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

Moreover, the positive impact that sport and physical activity has on our lives means that there is also an opportunity to develop a pathway for agencies that support people with mental health and wellbeing to refer their service users to local sports clubs who have achieved the accredited charter mark status.

Moray Sports Clubs wishing to achieve the accredited charter mark status are required to complete a training programme. This consisted of 5 mental health and well-being workshops delivered over a 6 month period delivered by Moray Wellbeing Hub. The course syllabus covered mental health first aid training, suicide prevention and trauma informed approaches.

Thus, with the support of Moray Wellbeing Hub, we crafted this charter which all participating clubs adhere to.

Our aim:-

To provide a welcoming, safe, and inclusive sporting environment for individuals grappling with mental health issues.

Core Components of the Charter:

  1. Club Accreditation:
    • Clubs work towards higher standards to instil participant confidence.
    • Ensure all coaches have valid qualifications.
    • Enforce procedures for positive experiences for every member.
  2. Education:
    • Coaches from accredited sessions attend 5 mental health workshops.
    • They also undergo a 2-day Mental Health First Aid course by Moray Wellbeing Hub.
  3. Facility Inspection:
    • Clubs with their own venues will undergo inspections.
    • Ensuring safety and comfort for every participant.

Partnership & Trust:

Establishing formidable ties with local sports clubs and our partners (Arrows, Social Work, NHS) is at the charter’s heart. These partners can then confidently refer their clients to our club sessions, building stronger community relations. Our charter acts as a bridge, assuring these organizations of the safety and inclusivity of our clubs.

The Accreditation of the first cohort of Moray Sports Clubs:

Thanks to funding from the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund -administered by tisMORAY- the first group of 11 coaches from 9 Moray based sports clubs completed the 5 mental health and wellbeing workshops in the Spring of 2024. The coaches were awarded their certificates at the Moray Wellbeing Festival held on Saturday 11 May.

Participating Clubs:

Coaches from the following Moray based sports clubs were part of the first cohort to receive the Mental Health and Physical Activity Accreditation Certificates at the Moray Wellbeing Festival.

Moray Table Tennis Club  Emma Coutts
Boundless Trails Dimitris Chrysanthakopoulos
Badminton Moray Angela Bell
Elgin Duellist Fencing Club  Robin Paterson
Forres Bluefins Swimming Club  Rosalyn Carruthers
Elgin Sports Community Trust  Robbie Hope, Jonathan Mitchell
Walking Football (Buckie and Elgin Groups)  Lynn Grant
Moray Hockey ClubClaire Allan Phillip Cutts
Elgin Cycling ClubDiane MacIver
Speyside TaekwondoSean Cattanach

Online Resource: The Mental Health and Physical Activity Pathway

The Festival also marked the launch of the Mental Health and Physical Activity Pathway. This is a new online resource for anyone who wants to access Moray based sports clubs that are committed to supporting good mental health and wellbeing.

The website can be access at www. discoverpathwaysmoray.org.uk

Next Steps

Accredited Moray Sports Clubs are now using the knowledge they have secured through the workshops to ensure that their clubs provide a welcoming and supporting environment in line with the Charter.

The Community Sports Hub Team are also working with Moray Wellbeing Hub and other partners to secure the necessary funding to enable the second cohort of Moray sports coaches to complete their the mental wellbeing and physical activity training programme. A further up-date will be provided through these pages

For more information or if you are involved in a local sports club and would like to be part of the next cohort of participants, please contact Robin Paterson, Community Sports Hub Development Officer. Email: robin.paterson@moray.gov.uk Tel. 07970 974857

Sport in Moray