Sport in Mind

“Depression robbed me of a normal life for 10 years, but when I joined Sport in Mind’s sessions they gave me the chance to play sport again and feel ‘normal’. I’ve heard people say ‘playing sport changed my life’, but for me Sport in Mind didn't just change my life, they saved it!”   

Graham was one of over 6,000 people with mental health problems whose lives were transformed by the Sport in Mind programme that ran across the South East from 2019 to 2024.

A better life for people with mental health problems 

Sport in Mind, a multi-award-winning charity that works in partnership with NHS trusts, is one of the charities we funded to help people with health conditions improve their wellbeing and combat sedentary living.   

Each week, Sport in Mind’s programmes provide over 1,000 people with mental health problems (focussing on those with serious mental illness and long-term conditions) with supportive opportunities to play sport to improve their mental, physical and social health.  

With 91% of the people that engaged in the Sport in Mind project unable to access mainstream sports provision due to their mental health, the programme proved a crucial lifeline for the participants to stay active and help them on their recovery journeys.  

Saving lives through sport 

"The truth is, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Sport in Mind’s programme," says Lucy, 23. 

Like many young people struggling with their mental health, Lucy felt alone and abandoned by society.

With suicide the biggest killer of all people under 35, and men under 50, Sport in Mind’s programme helped provide many people like Lucy with a safe space to be themselves, without fear of judgement, and offer them the positive focus in their lives which they were missing.

After accessing Sport in Mind for a year, Lucy’s symptoms of depression eased and she was able to rebuild her self-esteem, enabling her to return to full-time work. She now plays badminton and table tennis weekly for a local club.