What we do?

When Sports Development meets Mental Health this is what TAMHI is all about – The Sports Develop-mental approach.

The TAMHI officer will work with clubs/sports groups around the 4 P’s:

Policies

To review policies/governance/planning – ensure there is a safeguarding statement within relevant policies and that the groups plan incorporate mental fitness.

  • This involves ensuring club has capacity and structure to raise awareness of mental fitness.
  • Review of club policies and working to get them to an acceptable standard
  • Developing Community Sport & Wellbeing plans – more focus on using the power of sport to address social issues rather than just skills development.
  • Reviewing club communication channels – Facebook, websites and we will ensure these are in place. It’s vital to have information available online about Mental Health.

People

To support club people to ensure they have enough information about Mental Health and promoting positive Mental Fitness.

Note – Research has shown that training is a hard sell, volunteers in the context of sport give up their time to do sport, not classroom based training, and find it very difficult to get people to attend – especially young members – unless they have to (which in the case of mental health they do not)

  • Help clubs identify the best way of distributing information so that they engage with their group members.
  • Helping clubs understand the role, coaches, volunteers, parents and participants have to play in relation to creating a Mentally Friendly Environment
  • Work with key club people to develop their understanding so they use their power and influence to make an impact in the club.
  • TAMHI is currently through the Engage Programme working on new programme for key club members that will enable them to engage with male members of their clubs.

Programmes

Supporting sports groups in terms of setting up programmes to promote positive mental fitness and build peoples resilience.

  • When clubs/sports groups start to think outside the sport box and realise the impact they have on communities and mental fitness –they will be better placed to produce better quality applications for funding. TAMHI supports programme development and design and will support applications for funding should they be required.
  • TAMHI works with clubs to think of creative programmes to get the key messages across using the power of sport.

Partnerships

Ensuring the sports group engage with all key community groups that share objectives

around youth & community development e.g. Mental Health Charities, Employment and Learning Groups, Schools, Community Safety, Youth Service Providers.

  • TAMHI supports clubs in identifying any potential partners that will add value to the sport service. There is no reason clubs should not be linked to schools, linked to their local mental health charity and youth clubs and they should all work side by side for the communities benefit.