Rugby League Cares was delighted to be asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP to attend a meeting this week with leaders from the sport, youth and charity sectors to discuss how we can better support young men.
The discussion focused on the challenges young men and boys face, including mental health, sense of purpose, lack of connections, concepts of masculinity and how sport can take positive action in this area.
We were proud to be asked to showcase our work across our rugby league communities and share our learning on using programmes such as Offload and Movember Ahead of the Game to engage men in activities that have a significant positive impact on their lives.
RL Cares Director of Community Emma Goldsmith said: “It was great to hear the Secretary of State acknowledge the importance of supporting young men earlier so we can prevent them from becoming isolated and provide impactful support in ways that work for them.
“Over the many years we've worked in this field, we know that services need to be delivered in a uniquely targeted way to this audience, which health professionals have historically found really difficult to reach.
“It was exciting to have the opportunity to share our knowledge with the the Minister, Department of Culture, Media and Sport officials and others working in this field. We’re looking forward to working collaboratively with all partners on the next steps.”
To date, over 20,000 men have accessed our Offload programme, re-building their mental fitness, finding strong social connections and learning tools that will coach them to better tackle life’s challenges.
The impact on their lives is vast, with one young man stating: “Listening to some of the toughest players I’ve ever watched say they used to feel how I do now - that really helped me turn a corner and have hope. Before this I didn’t believe I would become anything.”
As well as Offload, RL Cares is leading the delivery of Movember Ahead of the Game across England and Wales. Since 2022 this programme has reached over 30,000 young people in grassroots sports and community clubs.
Ahead of the Game uses sport terminology and examples to support young men to be there for their team-mates off the pitch, as well as on it. Again, the impact is significant with the comments of one participant reflecting the views of thousands of youngsters: “The main thing I took away was how to show up for my mates. We always talk about rugby, or sport, but it’s also important to check how each other is doing. We have each other’s backs now.”