Enlighten The Shadows

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐮𝐧- 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓! 🏃🏻

NG18 5HU
18:15

See you there fellas!

ETS TEAM 👊🏽💛

𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅; This lad, This Group, This Community 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝:

https://www.mansfieldtownct.net/post/men-s-health-week-morgan-case-study

Since launching, the “Come for a Kick About?” sessions have had a hugely positive impact on participants. One person who has particularly benefited is Morgan, who has been attending since March 2025.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐬:

Morgan first heard about the sessions through a friend who suggested coming along for football and a mental health chat. At the time, he was going through a difficult period mentally and wasn’t sure what to expect.

“My first session came at a tough period for myself mentally. It was something I knew I needed but didn’t know what to think of it. With some convincing from friends, I took the leap, enjoyed the football and felt immediately comfortable to share during my first chat session.”

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲:

Although Morgan describes himself as confident and outgoing, the sessions helped him recognise that he had been masking how he was really feeling.

“The sessions have helped me realise it’s okay not to be okay. These sessions have helped me blow off steam when needed, have fun and enjoy the game we all love with some great people. But most importantly, it’s given me a space to share my personality and hopefully bring a positive impact to my peers.”

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:

Through open conversations with others in the group, Morgan began to reflect on how work stress was affecting his home life. This ultimately led to a significant decision to change career direction in order to improve his wellbeing.

He explains that the support from peers and staff has continued to help him stay resilient as he balances work, family life, and personal wellbeing.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

One of the biggest impacts for Morgan has been the friendships formed through the group. These connections extend well beyond Monday nights, creating a wider support network in everyday life. He also highlighted how the sessions have grown, creating opportunities for more people to get involved through an ETS 11-a-side team that plays other local charity teams and supports wider causes.

𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:

Alongside the mental health benefits, Morgan has seen a significant improvement in his physical health since joining the sessions.

“100%. A combination of my new job and playing football weekly, I have dropped five stone in five months. I now feel more fit and confident. I can run for longer, I’m more physically active and my body is able to play football multiple times a week.”

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠:

Morgan says his overall mental and physical wellbeing is now in a much stronger place than before he joined the sessions. He also feels more able to communicate with those closest to him and manage stressful situations in a healthier way.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m always 100% tip top, but we all have our days, some up and some down and that is fine. But I can say that in general I am in such a better place mentally and physically than what I was before I started attending.”

𝐀 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:

For Morgan, one of the most important parts of the sessions is the safe, judgement-free space they create. It allows him to open up, connect with others, and enjoy football in a relaxed environment.

“There are a lot of things I love about the sessions, from playing football, to seeing good friends every week and being able to open up and be vulnerable in a judgement-free and caring environment. But mainly I just love letting off steam and having a good laugh while pretending I can kick a ball.”

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

Morgan was full of praise for the impact the sessions have had on his life and the people involved in delivering them.

“These sessions with ETS and the Community Trust have really helped me and made my life better. The Community Trust guys truly are great people and their hard work and dedication is what makes these sessions great.”

🏃🏻‍♂️𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝟔:𝟏𝟓𝐏𝐌 - NG18 5HU

FULL-TIME | 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟎𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐬! 🏆⚽

What a feeling! After plenty of hard work, determination, and sticking together as a team, we've finally secured our first victory in 90 minutes. Every player gave everything from the first whistle to the last, and the result is one we can all be proud of. It's a reward for the effort that's gone in behind the scenes and a reminder of what this group is capable of when we work for each other.

A huge thank you to everyone who came down to support us. Your encouragement never goes unnoticed and means a lot to all that are involved.

A massive thankyou for today's hosts Chillacticos FC. A fantastic bunch of lads both on and off the pitch. 💛⚽️

❌𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃! - volunteers are poorly and unable to make! 😌 Really sorry for the inconvenience!

⚽💙 BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY 💙⚽

Enlighten the Shadows Men's Mental Health Charity Football Team is looking for local businesses to sponsor our home shirt and in due course there also will be a chance to sponsor our new away shirt with more details to come in the near future for a 12 month period ⚽️

By sponsoring our team, your business will gain valuable exposure through our matches, events, social media platforms, and community activities, while also showing your commitment to supporting an important cause 💪

Your sponsorship will help us continue raising awareness of men's mental health, break down stigma, and encourage more men to seek support when they need it. 🙌

Every contribution helps us expand our reach and make a greater impact within our community.
This is more than advertising your business it's an opportunity to be part of a movement that is helping change lives through the power of football and mental health awareness 🧠

If your business would be interested in becoming a sponsor, please send us a message through our social media pages or email your interest to:
📧 [email protected]

Please also share this post, we would really appreciate it!

Together, we can raise awareness, support our community, and remind men that they never have to face their struggles alone 💛