Young people representing Tigers Trust joined hundreds from across England and Wales in this year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration, a national event that uses football to empower 11–to-18-year-olds through life skills, mentoring, and social action.
The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which supports 11–to-18-year-olds who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and into early adulthood. The Premier League, through its Foundation, currently funds 54 football club charities to run Premier League Inspires sessions in secondary schools on a weekly basis.
This season, young people have been tasked with a social action project to come up with ways in which they would support young people’s mental wellbeing in their communities. Earlier this academic year, students at Market Weighton School explored the challenges young people in the East Riding of Yorkshire face in relation to mental health. They researched existing support services and identified opportunities to strengthen current provision. This work led to a proposal for a Wellbeing Champions Network across schools in the East Riding, developed in collaboration with local support providers.
The project aims to train older students as wellbeing champions who can offer a safe, approachable space for younger pupils to share experiences and seek support. As these pupils progress through school, they in turn become champions themselves, creating a sustainable, peer‑led cycle of support. The group will launch the initiative in their own school, with plans to share learning and successes across the local area to encourage wider adoption.
The project has received support from Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce (NHS Group Head of Voluntary Services and Tigers Trust Trustee) and councillor Ted Dolman, who judged the regional round and remain committed to helping develop the initiative alongside NHS community programmes. This peer support model is designed to complement existing services, including the Mental Health Support Teams operating across the region.
A teacher from Market Weighton commented on the event: “There were some great conversations between our club and others, with many creating QR codes to support those experiencing mental health struggles. It was also brilliant to see the new home of Everton Football Club, and we were very pleased with the level of interest shown in our idea.
The focus on mental wellbeing aligns closely with the Premier League’s Inside Matters initiative, which highlights the League’s and clubs’ ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the topic and encouraging fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.
Having won their local heat, Tigers Trust participants joined hundreds of young people at the Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration event at Everton's Hill Dickinson stadium at the end of April.
Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, Alex White, said: “The Premier League Inspires Challenge gives young people a powerful platform to discuss and take steps to improve young people’s mental well-being within their communities. This year’s theme encourages participants to champion positive mental well-being, break down stigma and create supportive environments where everyone feels able to thrive.
“By taking part in Premier League Inspires, young people can strengthen their confidence and build valuable skills - from communication and planning to teamwork and resilience - as they design meaningful social action projects that promote healthier, happier communities.”
Alongside the participant-focused activities, mental health specialists and representatives from across the sport and charity sectors came together for a round table event. The discussion focused on the role of football club charities in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing and was delivered by the Premier League and Premier League Foundation in partnership with Comic Relief.
The three-year partnership with Comic Relief is using the power of football to put children and young people aged five-to-18 at the heart of a nationwide push for better mental health by giving them access to practical wellbeing tools, education resources and essential life skills, while tackling stigma head-on.
The Tigers Trust supports over 1,800 students through the Premier League Inspires programme, delivering more than 2,000 hours of provision across 14 secondary schools in Hull, the East Riding, and North Lincolnshire.
Nationally, more than 40,000 young people from across England and Wales have received more than 135,000 hours of targeted support through Premier League Inspires to date.
To find out more about Premier League Inspires, please visit: www.premierleague.com
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