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By Faye Hackwell
Working to tackle issues surrounding misogyny and gender discrimination in football can take its toll on the mental health of those striving to make positive changes.
So Her Game Too has partnered with the mental health support app Melp Co to equip our volunteers with tools and resources to support their wellbeing.
Her Game Too’s team members sometimes encounter distressing situations while volunteering for the campaign, such as being subjected to abusive comments online and experiencing unpleasant incidents on matchdays.
So it is hoped that having access to Melp, which provides personalised access to a range of features, including counselling tools, mindfulness exercises, audio to aid sleep, yoga classes and nutrition tips, will help the Her Game Too team to look after their mental health.
Caz May, Founder and Director of Her Game Too, said: "We are delighted to have an official partnership with Melp.
“At Her Game Too, everyone is a volunteer tackling one of football's longest standing issues.
“With this, we are aware that our volunteers are vulnerable to abuse which can be detrimental to their mental health.
“We want to ensure that everyone at Her Game Too is protected and Melp will provide them with the necessary resources to support their mental wellbeing.
“We are grateful to Melp for providing us with this opportunity and we look forward to working with them more closely in the future."
Her Game Too volunteers are all being offered training in how they can make the most of the range of resources available on Melp, which can be personalised to their individual needs.
Melp is also partnered with Watford FC Women, where players and staff use the app to help them maintain the peak physical and mental fitness required to play in the Women’s Championship.
Sophie Kirk, Director and Founder of Melp Co, said: “We are so pleased to partner with Her Game Too and be able to support their ambassadors.
“Meeting Caz and understanding more about what this amazing team of women do has been really eye opening.
“The abuse they receive when fighting for the rights of women in sport and reducing sexism is terrible and Caz is keen to ensure they are well supported.
“We feel blessed that Her Game Too have chosen us as their partner for this and look forward to providing support through our Melp app and training.”
To find out more about Melp Co, visit www.melp.org.uk