Mansfield Town Football in the Community (FITC) is launching a new community group, Active Minds, which aims to promote inclusion and tackle isolation through sport.

The free group will run for 48 weeks, every Friday, from 1st March, from 10am to noon, at One Call Stadium.

It is open for males aged 18 and above, specifically those suffering with issues such as low self-esteem, isolation and loneliness, depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness.

Mark Hemingway, head of community, said: “Mental health carries a massive stigma, but we’ve found through working with community partners on recent pilot projects that sport really unites people and unlocks barriers holding people back.

“The group will carry no pressure whatsoever for people to talk about their problems, but will 100% provide a safe and secure environment for them to do so if and when they feel the need.

Active Minds is designed to tackle those issues through two programmes, Active Minds: Sport and Active Minds: Chat — the latter is geared more towards those aged 60 and above, who are living with dementia.

Active Minds: Sport is weekly sports-based session, with participants taking part in a range of sporting activities from small sided football matches, to coaching games. Active Minds: Chat is a continuation and development of FITC’s dementia group and will work with those unable to take part in the more physical activities, those living with dementia and those suffering with longer-term mental health problems.

The sessions will incorporate indoor, chair based sport, along with activities to engage the mind.

Both sessions will run simultaneously on Fridays at the One Call Stadium, from 10am to noon, and are free of charge.

Anyone wanting further information on either sessions or what they involve, should contact Football in the Community on 01623 656920.