LAUREUS AND LMA TEAM UP TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLBEING IN YOUNG PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
On World Mental Health Day, Laureus Sport for Good has teamed up with the League Managers Association (LMA) on a ground-breaking three-year partnership. The collaboration will see funds raised for Laureus Sport for Good, and resources and expertise developed for elite football managers, adapted to positively impact the mental wellbeing of young people in grassroots programmes worldwide, supported by Laureus.
The most recent Laureus Sport for Good Annual Review revealed that mental health is the fastest increasing issue amongst the children participating in Laureus’ network of over 300 programmes, across 42 different countries. This partnership aims to tackle this issue head on.
The partnership announced today will provide extensive support and learning opportunities to the youth leaders and coaches across the Laureus programmes. Through the LMA’s Institute of Leadership and High Performance, the Laureus coaches will have access to a plethora of mental health and wellbeing resources and educational tools, designed by the LMA’s team of expert clinicians and consultants, helping them support the mental health of the children they work with.
The collaboration between the LMA and Laureus Sport for Good will see the same mental health expertise and approach used by Premier League, EFL, WSL and Women’s Championship football managers positively impacting the lives of over 240,000 children across the Laureus programmes.
Laureus Academy Member, LMA member and former Premier League Manager Ruud Gullit, welcomed the partnership between the two organisations: “I joined the Laureus Academy in 2017 and it has been a privilege, over the last seven years, to see, and to be a part of, the incredible work done by the programmes supported by Laureus Sport for Good. As an LMA member I am also part of a progressive organisation that strives to have a positive impact on the game and the wider community. In recent years, both Laureus and the LMA have been pioneers and leaders in recognising and adapting to the challenges of mental health.
“Whilst, at first glance it may appear that the worlds of professional football managers and children in some of our most vulnerable communities are miles apart, this partnership shows that when it comes to mental health, we all have common ground. I am proud that the same world-class expertise accessed by those in professional football will now be used to help young people in projects Laureus supports in places as diverse as Mumbai, Rio and Cape Town.”
LMA Chief Executive Richard Bevan OBE, added: “The LMA is extremely proud to announce our new collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good, helping to support the amazing work they do. Tackling mental health issues and supporting the development of wellbeing, are of primary focus to the LMA. We are delighted that our knowledge and expertise can now be shared with Laureus’ sport leaders and coaches, continuing the positive impact that Laureus has had on the lives of more than six and a half million children and young people.”
LMA Chair Martin O’Neill OBE, reflected: “This is an important and exciting charity partnership for us at the LMA. Over the next three years, we’ll be working with a world-leading sport for development organisation in Laureus Sport for Good, offering support, resources and educational tools to their wide network of Sport for Good programmes. Mental health and wellbeing is at the heart of our organisation, and we’re proud to be sharing that information and knowledge from the elite levels of the game here in England with grassroots coaches and leaders around the world, helping Laureus in its mission to transform the lives of children and young people through the power of sport.”
Laureus Sport for Good was founded in 2000 to use sport as a driver for societal change and has impacted more than six and a half million children and young people. It now funds, supports and implements sports-based community programmes around the world that use sport to tackle violence, discrimination and inequality.
The LMA is the collective, representative body of the managers, past and present, from the Premier League, EFL, WSL and Women’s Championship. Its history dates back to 1919, with the current LMA structure in place since 1992. Over time, the LMA has become an established and leading stakeholder in the professional game, with the commitment and knowledge to provide complete and full-rounded support to our members across their professional and personal lives.
The LMA exists for its members and our focus is on the delivery of a range of world-class support services to all members, which include legal and employment services, health and wellbeing support, personal development programmes and technical representation.
