Southampton Football Club’s nickname is ‘the Saints’ because it was founded in 1885 as the Saint Mary’s Church of England’s Young Men’s Association. Since the club was founded, it has played an active role in the community and is still looking out for the interests of young men and women in and around Southampton.

What is the Saints Foundation?

The Saints Foundation is the name of Southampton FC’s organisation that works within the community to take advantage of the power of football to work with and reach people who need help.

Every year, over 25,000 young people take part in activities and events organised by the Saints Foundation.

What sort of events does the Saints Foundation organize?

One of the projects run by the Saints Foundation is called Health Kicks. This programme was set up because doctors and other health professionals are worried about the lifestyles of adult men aged between 18-35.

Every year, the Foundation organises a Health Kicks football tournament. Last year, over 280 men took part in the event, hoping that they would win the trophy and be crowned Health Kicks Champions.

Why focus on men’s health?

Doctors are concerned that men don’t think about their health enough. They are afraid that the way that young men live might cause problems for them later in life.

Lots of men don’t like talking about health and healthy living and this means that they are more at risk.

How does the Saints Foundation change attitudes?

The Saints Foundation aims to use football as a way to connect with young men. By using ideas that will appeal to men, they hope to tackle some of the negative attitudes towards seeing a doctor.

Last year, the Saints Foundations project linked up with the national Time to Change project, which hopes to change attitudes towards mental health problems. The stigma that surrounds mental health makes it even more difficult to persuade young men to seek help.

What activities took place at the Health Kicks football tournament?

People at the tournament took part in a mental health quiz and spoke to advisors from different organisations that work with people who suffer from these problems.

There was also a special MOT health test. In England, an MOT is a regular test for cars to make sure they are safe to drive on public roads. The organisers wanted to make men think about their bodies in the same way so that they would visit their doctors regularly for a check up.

What will the Saints Foundation do next?

Now that Southampton FC are back in the Premier League, the Saints Foundation hopes to reach even more of the people in need in and around Southampton.

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