CONGLETON Town have paired up with a local mental health organisation in their on-going efforts to continue providing help and support for the local community.
The North West Counties League Premier Division club have teamed up with Mind, Body & Sole, a company co-founded by Bears fan Adam Gosney, who has battled his own demons over the years and now dedicates his time to helping others.
“I had taken myself away from Manchester and all the drink and drug issues that created more demons for myself and found refuge in Congleton,” explained Gosney, woho set up Mind, Body & Solewhilst on furlough from his role as a retail manager.
“Since I've been here I have slowly but surely rebuilt my life and my self-esteem. My dad has played a massive part in my revival, he has been my rock throughout the bad days and even more so in helping me find the way to get to where I am today.
“Living in Congleton has been a major calming influence on me, I have a new partner and she has accepted my past and is playing a big part in my future. When I was furloughed I started to use Twitter to offer help and support to those that were in a similar place to where I had been and before I knew it Mind, Body & Sole had 20,000 followers.
“Along with my friends Adam Maxwell and Matt Bradshaw we started a ‘non-profit' organisation and created a range of clothing from which the profit provides funding for us to help those that need it.
Drop-in centre
“We are really looking forward to working with everyone involved at Congleton Town and establishing the brand further, which in turn will allow us to grow as an organisation and allow us to help more people that are suffering.”
The Bears were naturally happy to help, as director Chris Rowley explained.
“Mental health is something that is incredibly important to both me personally and as a club,” he added.
“It's something that we had identified as a gap in what do collectively.
“We were looking at ways in which we could improve the way we could help the community and when Mind Body & Sole approached us, as one of the founders lives in Congleton, it was as though fate had brought us together.
“As the senior football director at the club I have involvement with all the teams we have under our wings, and I am fully aware that we have to be on hand to provide help or advice as and where we can.
“We are going to put new information boards and signage up around the ground and have plans to provide a ‘dropin' centre where people can call in for a coffee and a chat with representatives from Mind, Body & Sole, who will provide help and direction.
Pivotal
“Football is many people's ‘happy place' and Congleton Town is that third place for a huge part of our community. We have a real family environment at the club and this new partnership is another step in the right direction to create a place for people to come and be part of that family.”
The Bears have recently won their appeal to The FA over the proposed lateral move to the Midland League, ensuring the Step 5 Cheshire club will remain in the North West Counties League Premier Division for the 2021-22 season.
It's a move which means less travel for the club and its supporters – and they have marked the launch of a new era for this partnership with an innovative change to club protocol.
The club has invested in a new purple away kit – the colour associated with wellbeing – and will carry the Mind, Body & Sole logo on the front.
Gosney added: “Our involvement at Congleton Town was a natural step for us to take, the town has welcomed me and has been pivotal in my own personal journey, I know that this partnership will be the foundation for us to continue our growth.
“A football club is a natural meeting place for so many of the local community across the country and our long term aim is to become involved with as many clubs as we can to help provide help and support to those that are suffering.”
Mind, Body & Sole is a non-profit organisation who offer support in mental health (Reg No. 13292064)
For more information see www.mindbodysole.uk www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mind-body-solein-the-community
It's OK not to be OK – You are not alone
