Joe Skirkowski
BBC News, Gloucestershire
PA
Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince and Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher are behind the pilot scheme
Football tickets will be made available on prescription to help treat symptoms of depression, under a pilot scheme.
Labour MP for Stroud, Dr Simon Opher, and Ecotricity founder and owner of Forest Green Rovers, Dale Vince, have drawn up plans which will see patients in Gloucestershire offered the chance to attend the National League side’s matches.
The initiative is part of a move by Dr Opher to offer social prescribing to patients with mild or moderate depression, instead of antidepressants.
“Football clubs are in the centre of our communities and it’s a way of getting people who perhaps are a bit socially isolated back into the community and back chatting to people,” said Dr Opher.
He added: “It’s a different way of treating mental illness that doesn’t involve tablets.
“When you play football you often go out and socialise after. I think one of the problems in our society is we’ve lost that ability and a lot of people get quite isolated – which leads to depression.”
Dr Opher has previously prescribed other activities such as comedy and gardening.
Patients who are part of the pilot scheme will be asked to provide feedback on the impact it has had on their mental health.
The MP has previously spoken about his concerns around the over-prescription of antidepressants to people who exhibit mild symptoms but believes they offer a solution to those experiencing more serious signs.
“Some people do have very severe mental health issues and do need medication and specialist care,” he said.
“What we’re aiming for here is people with moderate depression.”
The pilot is being trialled at 12 surgeries near Forest Green’s New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth.
Tickets will be supplied by the club for free and the pilot will run all season – starting with the first home game against Yeovil on 16 August.
Mr Vince, who has owned the club since 2010, said: “I think it’d be a great thing if football clubs up and down the country could reach out to people and do this.
“Men typically don’t really talk about their issues, that’s the thing, and you get loneliness and things like that as well.
“I’ve had periods of my life where I’ve been a bit fed up, and excluded… a bit down from time to time, it’s easy to spiral downwards when you’re not in contact with people and I just wanted to do something with that.”
Forest Green reached League One for the first time in their history in 2022 before suffering two back-to-back relegations to end their seven-year spell in the English Football League.
Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage was appointed as their new manager on 1 July.