At NCM we are very aware of the importance of supporting employee mental health initiatives and with the recent passing of Mental Health Awareness Week, we are delighted to announce our sponsorship of North Berwick Amateur Football Club’s strips. The team has been set up by one of our employees, Finlay Pratt who works in our Client Investor Support team. We are very proud of Finlay as his efforts in getting this to fruition have been considerable. Although we are hoping the fun of being Chairman of a football club does not lure him away from the dizzy excitement of fund administration!
The journey began in the first lockdown of 2020 during the frenzy of weekly zoom quizzes. Finlay and some friends from high school got carried away reminiscing about the ‘glory days’ of playing high school football for the same team and all the memories that went alongside it. At the time they were either not playing or signed for different clubs around Edinburgh/East Lothian. They turned their dream of playing together again into a reality, as a few decided to found a new club with the aim of being established in the LEAFA (Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association).
One year later, after a lot of hard work dealing with applications to the league, signing players and coaching staff on contracts, forming community club partnerships, securing a home pitch, designing a badge, strips and everything else that goes with setting up a team, North Berwick Amateur Football Club will be competing in the upcoming 2021-22 season. The club has not only been formed for Finlay and his friends to have the opportunity to compete and play together, but also to form a community club partnership with the local North Berwick Colts (junior football teams for ages 5-16). They hope to give young people in the surrounding areas a team to look up to and aspire to play for once they leave school rather than having to look elsewhere to continue their football and personal development.
It was important to Finlay and the team to not only to establish a successful football team, but also create a social, happy and open environment for young individuals to feel relaxed, exercise with friends and enjoy themselves in a positive setting. However, above all they aim to offer a place of support for those struggling to feel comfortable enough to open up and speak freely about how they’re feeling. It’s not been an easy time for anyone as of late, and it’s only too well documented that young men tend to struggle in silence. In 2017, nearly 6000 suicides were recorded in Great Britain. Of these, 75% were men. Suicide is the largest cause of death for men under 50, with only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies being male. This simply must change. Everyone goes through tough times, and more often than not all that’s needed to make a positive impact on your mental wellbeing is an open and honest conversation with a close friend. North Berwick Amateur FC believe being able to provide a place of stress relief, comfort and support for those associated with the club will make it all worthwhile…as well as winning some silverware of course!
NCM are keen to support an initiative which encourages young men to remain active and engaged with their peers. We all know that being regularly active is shown to have a beneficial impact on alleviating stress. It can help manage stressful lifestyles and can help us make better decisions when under pressure. Research on working adults shows that active people tend to have lower stress rates compared to those who are less active so. We are also looking forward to a team day out to support the team at matches when Covid restrictions are eased to allow!