“For me, the whole concept of using sport and physical activity to manage or treat mental health is a bit of a no-brainer,” explained Neil.
“The reason Sport in Mind exists is because a childhood friend of mine had a breakdown in 2009 and I designed a physical activity programme based around an evidence-based therapy called desensitisation. Essentially, its breaking down your concerns into small, manageable steps.
“For my friend, his trigger was leaving the house and speaking to people. After having a breakdown, he spent a number of months sat at home by himself and gradually his mental health began to get worse. Unfortunately, this is quite commonplace as social isolation and mental health are closely linked.
“My friend became quite paranoid about things, but as is with a lot of people, the idea of accessing mental health support – particularly traditional mental health support like GPs or NHS services – was daunting for him. So, I designed a physical activity programme to help him get out of the house.
“After about 12 months of engaging in my…