OFF YOUR CHEST PARTNERS WITH COUNTY FA PROVISION APRIL 2026!

YOU HAVE MORE THAN JUST THE POWER TO CHANGE THE GAME. YOU CAN CHANGE LIVES.

WINNER OF THE OUTSTANDING YOUTH LEADER AWARD 2023

The Off Your Chest project badge that depicts a player about to bounce the football off their chest.

After a successful project pilot in Somerset in 2022/23, gaining national attention and award-winning status, Off Your Chest’s National Survey in 2023/24 informed multiple County FAs across England of how else they could eleavate their coaching volunteer workforce in youth football.

Beginning April 2026, Somerset FA are partnering with Off Your Chest’s to support brand-new socially prescribed football club provisions for those who can benefit football as a tool for positive mental change. The pilot programme is open to Somerset FA Affiliated Clubs and an expression of interest form can be completed HERE.

Off Your Chest has been recognised for its legacy impact on football communties and has recieved funding from The Wembley Stadium Foundation to continue to harness the power of football to bring people together and access support.

Listen to Alex’s interview upon winning the Oustanding Youth Leader Award at 15:37!

A man in a blue suit holding a microphone and speaking at a podium labeled 'The FA Leadership Academy' during a presentation or event.
Wembley Stadium Foundation logo with a red stylized check mark and text in red.

HOW CAN MY CLUB CREATE A FREE OFF YOUR CHEST FOOTBALL PROVISION?

1. Choose which Just Play offer works best for your audience.

Kickabout is for male, female and disabled players 16+ who already play, or who are returning to the game. It’s easy and informal, fun and casual. Formats for Kickabout include small-sided games, walking football and futsal with a warm-up and a cool-down.

Learn to Play is for female and disabled people aged 16+ who are newcomers to football, and those who prefer a less competitive experience, providing coach-led sessions incorporating a game and skills coaching for passing, shooting, turning and dribbling all in a safe, supportive space.

Off Your Chest is intended be listed as a Disability provision to ensure it can reach the intended audience through “session search” pages.

2. Become a Just Play Provider and complete FREE online training.

Using Book Football, you can manage your sessions and allow others to find them (if made public).

There is online training to help support you running football sessions for either audience.

Providers are required to deliver for a minimum of 32 weeks across the year.

Each session should be supervised by a Just Play organiser of 18 years or over with an FA Playmaker qualification & FA Emergency Aid Certificate.

3. Receive your funding and resources to get started!

Once qualified, you’ll receive:

  • A complete set of Just Play Session Cards, providing clear step-by-step guidance and practical tips

  • You’ll gain access to disability-specific resources designed to help you run your sessions confidently and effectively.

  • A voucher to redeem a Just Play equipment package, which includes cones, bibs, footballs, a first aid kit, bag, a banner, and a Just Play branded kit for you to wear.

  • Disability-specific equipment to further support your sessions is provided too.

MISSION STATEMENT

Football has the power to change lives.

In 2023, one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 had a probable mental health condition. This number has been rising since 2017, most notably in the 17-19 age group, as reported by YoungMinds.

Football is more than just a game and provides an escape from other areas of our lives and gives people like me and you something to be excited and passionate about. OFF YOUR CHEST began as a FA Leadership Academy Project that has succeeded in driving that positive change by highlighting areas where football can be a catalyst for deeper conversations and support strategies. The project has evolved to empower grassroots clubs to feel more confident to support their communities off the pitch by what they can offer on it.

By creating safe, supported and welcoming football opportunities at Thriving Community Clubs, football clubs have more than jsut the power to change the game, they can continue to change lives.

You can view the entirety of OFF YOUR CHEST’s Project Log by clicking here, detailing the entire process since the project’s inception and establishment in July 2022.

The Off Your Chest project badge that depicts a player about to bounce the football off their chest.
A young man in a white sports jacket with the England national team crest and Nike logo, standing outdoors, speaking and gesturing with his hands, wearing a lanyard with the text 'The FA Leadership Academy', and a black wristwatch.
The dark variant of the Off Your Chest project badge that depicts a player about to bounce the football off their chest.
Question text in bold reading, "How can the power of football support mental wellbeing in our youth?" surrounded by orange arrows pointing towards the center. Background features a faint logo with the words "Your Choice" and a football helmet icon.
Pie chart showing coaches' confidence levels in supporting players' mental well-being, with 59.4% less than 75% confident, 8.1% completely confident, and the title 'A deficiency in mental well-being support'.
A pie chart illustrating survey responses to whether a learning resource to support player mental well-being would be beneficial for coaches. The chart shows 35.1% answered 'Yes' as a required resource, 32.4% answered 'Yes' as part of another FA learning resource, and 29.7% expressed a need for an optional mental well-being course. The caption reads: 'A clear demand for more ways for coaches to educate themselves.'
Text overlay on a white background stating: "Worryingly, 21.6% of coaches surveyed answered that if their own mental well-being was negatively affected, they wouldn’t feel comfortable seeking support from someone connected to their club such as another coach or committee member. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE."