| Pete's Big Transfer |
 Details of how the It's a Goal! project has been noticed by one of the biggest football clubs in the world...A Psychiatric Nurse has been running an innovative project at Macclesfield Town FC to help men with mental health problems - and now he's going to do the same at Old Trafford. His work with male mental health patients over the past two years has attracted the attention of Sir Bobby Charlton. The United legend, who was also part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team, was so impressed with the work of Pete Sayers that he asked him to run the same project in Manchester. By using football analogies and scenarios, the ’It’s a Goal’ scheme hopes to attract men aged 16 to 35 who suffer from depression, poor confidence or low self-esteem. Pete, 52, said: “Guys do not talk about themselves. They internalise and it can come out in drug taking or violence and, in extreme cases, they can kill themselves. “It’s a Goal! aims to help people who might not feel comfortable talking to a doctor about their depression or feelings in general. “I believe that football often mirrors life and so the project uses that to develop techniques and goals for participants that will hopefully help them deal with life’s challenges.” The Macclesfield project, which was launched in 2004 through social entrepreneur Malcolm McLean and the sports charity Laureus, has attracted 52 people to Moss Rose so far. In addition to the planned Manchester scheme, talks are also taking place with both Nottingham football clubs. Alan Pringle, a lecturer in mental health nursing at the University of Nottingham, who oversees the project, said: “If it works at Macclesfield Town – one of the smallest clubs – and works at Manchester United – one of the largest clubs – then we know it will work at anything in between.” A spokeswoman for Manchester United said she hoped the project would be up and running at the club by this summer. by Gavin Hird Reproduced with the kind permission of the Macclesfield Express 7 June 2006. |
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