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Football Clubs from across the EFL are supporting local children through a new programme called Creative Minds.

Developed by the League’s charitable arm EFL in the Community and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), player ambassadors will visit schools to explore what mental wellbeing is and talk about how sport can impact mental health.

All children involved in the programme, which has been delivered by 15 EFL Club charities, were invited to enter a competition to design a t-shirt which showcases what they have learnt within the session. Winning designs were then selected by player ambassadors and produced for the class to wear.

The Creative Minds programme follows the success of ‘On Your Head!’, which was developed and delivered by Omar Beckles, Leyton Orient player and Chair of the PFA. The impact of this programme led to it being scaled up and rolled out across other Football Clubs charities.

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An investment of £10,000 has been put forward by EFL in the Community and has been matched by the PFA to develop a suite of resources, training and delivery across the 15 Football Club charities.

Omar Beckles said: “The Creative Minds programme is a fantastic opportunity for the PFA and the EFL in the Community to collaborate on a scheme focused on raising awareness of mental health in young people, something that has always been close to my heart. The project has evolved from my work with Leyton Orient, and it is wonderful to now see the concept expanded to benefit more people up and down the country. I would like to thank all the Club charities taking part in our pilot scheme and look forward to working together with players to make a difference in young people’s wellbeing.”

EFL’s Director of Community, Debbie Cook, said: “Using the power of the club badge, and the affinity that people have to their team, Football Club charities deliver a wide range of community initiatives focusing on raising people’s aspirations and quality of life.

“We want to create stronger, healthier communities and improve physical and mental health across all ages. Creative Minds is a fantastic vehicle for reaching children at a critical stage of their development, and we hope to further roll out this programme to more EFL Clubs in the future.”

PFA Community Liaison Executive, Scott Walker, added: “The mental health of children is essential because it affects their general wellbeing, academic achievement, and capacity to build positive connections. Players from each Club have helped to reinforce this message of the Creative Minds programme, which has been expertly delivered and presented by Club charity staff.

“We can accomplish so much as a collective which in turn provides a greater platform for our members to promote areas that they are extremely passionate about.”

Football Club charities delivering Creative Minds include: