Isthmian League Whyteleafe have extended their sponsorship deal with Express Medicals Ltd for another season.
One of the UK's leading independent occupational health providers are also stepping up their activities at the south east London club's Church Road home to support the mental health of fans, players and officials.during the coronavirus crisis.
The company – who've sponsored the Isthmian League South East Division's Leafe for the past three years – has 15 clinics nationwide offering services including drug and alcohol testing, medical assessments and a comprehensive COVID-19 testing programme.
Express Medicals CEO Dr Dan Hegarty is pictured paying a socially-distanced with first team coach Harry Hudson before meeting up with chairman Mark Coote to confirm their commitment to the club and offer the extra help mental health.
The writing is on the wall. The stadium gates are open. Non league football clubs welcome back football fans from tomorrow. Follow the guidelines, stay safe and watch the Leafe take on @AFCCroydonAth at Church Road (3pm ko). #WFCIsBack pic.twitter.com/V5AeOQFU93
— Whyteleafe FC (@WhyteleafeFC) August 21, 2020
Hegarty said: “We're delighted to be associated with Whyteleafe for another season: it's a real community club and it has fought very hard to raise funds so they're ready to open as soon as football gets up and going.
“The club has used the time it's been closed to refurbish the ground, make the necessary changes to keep visitors and players safe and to create even more of a community atmosphere.
“From our perspective it's more important than ever to provide support. A football club is more than somewhere a game is played. It's where families come together to create memories, it's where friends are made, it's a vital resource.
“As an occupational health company, we've been at the centre of COVID-19 testing and support in a variety of forms – helping people with their physical and their mental health.
“As well as our sponsorship, we're now extending our involvement, working with the club to provide wellness support in other ways – starting with sessions for the WFC Academy in early September.
Great news for the Leafe as @ExpressMedicals confirms it will continue to sponsor the club for the 2020-21 season. Read the full story here https://t.co/LRkDqVkhfa pic.twitter.com/2rpWqEDJs4
— Whyteleafe FC (@WhyteleafeFC) August 18, 2020
“We'll be helping them focus on stress and ways to deal with challenging situations in advance of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10. We're particularly pleased to sponsor a club that has such a strong youth team structure.
“Sport plays such an important role in stress relief and lots of the players at the club have spoken to the coaches about the struggles they faced during and post-lockdown over the past few months.
“We're going to offer ways that young men in sport they can talk about and start to deal with stress, giving them strategies to support themselves and each other.”
He added: “Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and this year in particular it's vital that we know how to spot the signs of stress in ourselves and others to get help at the right time.”
Coote, who welcomed Dr Hegarty back to the club, with first team coach Harry Hudson, said: “We're absolutely delighted that Express Medicals has chosen to support us again – it makes a world of difference in uncertain times. The sponsorship's great, but the additional benefits that an occupational health company brings will be especially helpful this year.”
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Images courtesy of The Non-League Paper & @WhyteleafeFC/Twitter
