Disability

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In 2007 The Everton Foundation formed a special partnership between one of the leading North West mental health organisations, Mersey Care NHS Trust, and the charity Imagine, to provide football coaching opportunities for service-users as part of their community re-integration strategies.

Sport and Leisure co-ordinators from various mental health day centres on Merseyside helped service-users to gain access to weekly sessions held at Everton Park Sports Centre. Up to now, we have engaged with nearly 40 service-users in a weekly coaching session that is regularly full to capacity.

In October 2007, The Everton Foundation, along with its partners, was involved in staging a hugely successful, high-profile mental health football tournament at Greenbank Academy, Aigburth. The event coincided with World Mental Health Day and attracted over 80 participants from 10 different mental health community teams.

The Everton Foundation, with the backing of its partners, now has an exciting opportunity to change the lives of hundreds of individuals on Merseyside by establishing a wide-reaching and sustainable development programme.

Through the use of sport and physical activity we aim to help an often marginalised population by diverting them away from antisocial behaviour; the objective being to help them achieve better health, gain employment and be better educated while becoming active and valued members of their community.