Team Talk
‘Team Talk’ aims to support men’s mental wellbeing and runs every Wednesday night virtually at 6pm. The programme aims to build resilience, improve social circles, enhance confidence, increase physical activity and help adult men to feel more supported.
The two hour sessions will provide men who experience mild mental health challenges with a secure and friendly space to socialise and talk openly about their thoughts and feelings. Those facing more severe problems are then able to find advice about where best to seek help.
Team Talk participant, Gordon says:
“Team Talk gives me a place to talk football, especially Rangers, life and everything in between with fellow Rangers supporters. Some weeks are serious others, some less so, but it has provided me a group of friends to sit and chat about Rangers, and wider football, just like being down the pub with a group of friends, and don’t we all enjoy that!
“It has also allowed us to support members of the group through loss of friends, loss of marriage, loss of job, and help with addiction, amongst the most serious issues we have helped each other through.”
Sitting under the Foundation’s ‘Healthy Lives’ pillar, ‘Team Talk’ will offer a positive and relaxed atmosphere, where people can meet others who may be experiencing similar mental health issues. Specially trained coaches will begin each session with one hour of social and conversational topics, before giving participants the choice of a physical activity or wellbeing discussion hour.
The programme has been made possible thanks to support from Rangers FC’s shirt sponsor, 32Red. Kindred Group’s (of which 32Red is a brand) ‘Tackling the Stigma’ report showed that over 4 million working class men are suffering in silence with their mental health issues in the UK. They are far more likely to suffer mental health problems but simultaneously less likely to both know the symptoms, or go to a doctor to seek advice. But their passion for sport (40% of working class men are football fans of a specific team, compared to 29% of everyone else) shows that harnessing the power of football clubs is vital to providing support.
Thanks to 32 Red, Team Talk has featured several times on the Men’s First team shirts, including at the 2022 Europa Cup Semis and Final and also during the 23/24 pre-season friendly against Hoffenheim.
Team Talk virtual sessions take place every Wednesday night from 6 – 8pm and are available for all adult males. You can take part on any week, but places will be limited so please first register your interest by emailing rangerscharity@rangers.co.uk.
Its sister programme, Team Talk Football, runs on Monday nights 7pm till 9pm at the Ibrox Community Complex and combines free football and a post game chat.
If you’re worried about your mental health, seek help and talk to someone. Where to go for help.
