St Andrew’s College proudly sponsors Kibworth Town Under 12 Girls football team

In a move to promote the role of exercise and team sports in good mental health, St Andrew’s College is sponsoring a Leicestershire girls’ football team.

The College is part of St Andrew’s Healthcare’s service for young people. It supports children aged 11-18 with mental health conditions to progress their education and achieve exam qualifications. St Andrew’s College recently announced plans to launch a Quality Mark to recognise good mental health support in schools, and it is hoped that the sponsorship will help raise its profile.

The Kibworth Town U12 Girls team is growing at a rapid rate, now with a squad of 15. Playing in matches all over the county, the girls are training hard and developing well – and frequently winning their matches. The team put out a plea for sponsorship last year to fund kit and equipment. St Andrew’s College felt this was a great opportunity.

Julie Sadler, Headteacher at the College said: “We are delighted to sponsor the team, and are looking forward to seeing them play a home game soon. We wanted to get involved not just to support a very deserving group of girls, but also to raise the profile of mental health. The latest statistics suggest that one in eight children have at least one mental health disorder. The sooner people seek help, the better the chances of preventing serious issues later in life. We want to encourage everyone to talk about mental health and drive better support for young people.”

Stuart Wright, Coach, said: “We’re so pleased that St Andrew’s College have chosen to sponsor us. The team are delighted with their new kit and even wore their team hoodies to school on a non-uniform day to help highlight adolescent mental health. We’re wearing them with pride!”