Cygnet Hospital Bury joins Social Inclusion Football League

Since the beginning on March 2018 a team of service users from Cygnet Hospital Bury have been competing in the Social Inclusion Football League alongside other hospitals and mental health organisations.

Team Cygnet have been participating in monthly fixtures organised by Creative Support and played at Blackburn Rovers Indoor Football Centre. In addition to enhancing the community provision offered by the men’s mental health and personality disorder services at Cygnet Hospital Bury, the team also provides an excellent opportunity for improving social skills, physical health outcomes and self-esteem.

“On a personal level, I have improved my levels of engagement and interactions with peers and those from other services and this has had a beneficial effect overall on my progress. It is not necessarily about winning or losing, the overall benefits of participating far outweigh this.”Service user, Cygnet Hospital Bury

In addition to this Team Cygnet are playing weekly fixtures in Burnley in partnership with Kemple View Hospital. These sessions have been running for several months and service users from both services are reaping the benefits. Games are played in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with the two services mixing to create teams. This supports the development of confidence, interpersonal skills and team work.

“Meeting new people from different walks of life is great, especially when we are all doing what we like. In this case, football is the thing that brings us together. Taking part in the group has really boosted my self-esteem and I’m feeling a lot more confident.”Service user, Cygnet Hospital Bury

More details about the Social Inclusion Football League can be found on the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust website.

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