Welcome back everyone, now for this sit down we speak to Adam who is the Director/Founder of the amazing non-profit organisation Mind, Body & Sole. They do some incredible work in helping people with their mental health , more so than you have probably ever heard about before.

In a time where things are extremely tough for so many and football is an escape for so many, it is no surprise that Mind, Body & Sole have strong connections to the non-league community.

Lets sit down with Adam and find out more!

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Before we get stuck in, can you explain to both me and the readers the back story of Mind, Body and Sole – who you guys are and how you came to create this page/business as well as excactly the purpose?

We started off by helping others during lockdown by cleaning and purchasing trainers on eBay cheap and cleaning them up and selling them with profits being used to offer financial support to people who was struggling for food and electric gas.

We decided to make a Twitter account and set up something that separated from our personal social media and called it mind, body & sole. A friend said they would design us a logo and that it would look good on T-shirts so we jumped in to this idea with both feet and officially registered in March 2021 as a non profit organisation.

Our purpose is to offer financial and emotional support to those in need, we aren’t just a men’s mental health organisation, we are here for everyone.

Our merchandise has grown from matching T-shirts with your trainers to football designs to mental health messages.

What inspired you to create Mind, Body & Sole, and how did your personal experiences shape the vision for this organization? 

Im 7 years clean and sober and a survivor or 6 suicide attempts with the last being near fatal. I wanted to help people and share my story to make people aware that they are not alone and that they’re are people who  care.

Selling merchandise is a bonus and it helps us to offer financial support. We dont get funding or grants, we just like to work under the radar as we just want to do the right thing and just help others.  

I see you have a MBS sponsored stand at Congletown Town, how did this come about?

We crowdfunded it and our supporters and Congleton town supporters chipped in for it.

How has your overall involvement in non-league football shaped the way Mind, Body & Sole connects with the football community? 

We got involved with Congleton Town in the early stages of Mind, Body & Sole (MBS) because I wanted to help the community and my personal involvement with the club (volunteer) and my love for the club blossomed. With the sponsored stand at the ground it has been a focal point for MBS supporters worldwide that have seen in on TV and in photos and a few travelling clubs coming to the ground take photos and talk about it.

We understand that non-league football is the heart beat of the local communities and a place we all go to to connect with fellow supporters and we wanted to really get to the grassroots of mental health awareness and just promote that its okay not to be okay and those 90 mins are yours for the taking and to make them count. 

Starting a nonprofit can be daunting. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days, and how did you overcome them? 

Funding, we are self funded so to speak. So every sale and donation really does make a difference. Luckily we dont have many outgoings other than the usual business outgoings and paying for stock and postage, with all profits kept in a pot to help those in need. We have had a very quiet few months and unfortunately we have been unable to help as many as we usually do. That is the biggest challenge really.  

Mental health struggles can be deeply personal. How has founding this organization impacted your own mental health journey? 

It helps me. Talking to others helps me and sharing my story keeps it at the forefront of why we are doing this.  

Have you seen specific examples within the non-league football scene where Mind, Body & Sole has made an impact on players, fans, or staff? 

Last game of the season, a supporter I have never met came up to me and thanked me. I was in shock and bit taken aback but he thanked me for saving him without even knowing. Our posts on social media helped him seek support with his doctors. That was something im proud of. Players wise and staff wise im at the ground probably more times than im at home as I volunteer as kitman and head of media so im always available for a chat and to confide in 

Mind, Body & Sole emphasizes peer-to-peer support. Why was this approach central to your mission, and how do you ensure it remains  effective and safe for participants? 

Lived in experience is key. Always safe and always confidential.  

The organization also provides professional resources and financial  assistance. Can you share a story or example of how this has made a difference for someone in need? 

We offer financial support in the aspect of helping with food, gas, electric and even hotel rooms and clothing for interviews. We have helped many, many families, couples and individuals.  

Merchandise sales play a role in funding your initiatives. How do you balance creating appealing products with maintaining the focus on your mission? 

We started with matching your tshirt with trainers and then explored more of a mental health nod to our designs but keeping the brand identity with trainers and football. Its always challenging and we are always thinking of other ideas for designs. 

Looking ahead, what are your biggest aspirations for Mind, Body & Sole in the next 5–10 years? 

To continue what we are doing whilst growing to help as many people as possible.  

Breaking the stigma surrounding mental health is no small task. What strategies are you exploring to reach a wider audience and make a larger impact? 

Moving with the times and becoming more tech savvy with videos and podcasts. Because we are small organisation sometimes their isn’t enough hours in the day, but we’ve got big hearts and yes its no small task but we work hard 7 days a week to chip away at this stigma.

But we also have to think about everyones mental health, there are a lot of mens mental health groups out there but you have to also think about the families that are also part of mens lives so thats why we are here, to offer everyone support the best we can. 

What role do you think football, particularly at the non-league level, can play in promoting conversations around mental health? 

As previously said its the heartbeat of local communities and with league football becoming more and more expensive we have seen interest grow for non-league football, with families I think its the best place to begin any conversation.

At the football with like minded people surrounding you and also the perfect time to switch off and make those 90 mins count, because I sure do! 

For people who are inspired by your work, what’s the best way for them to get involved and support the mission of Mind, Body & Sole? 

Check out our website www.mindbodysole.uk 

Order some merchandise and help us continue to help others financially each order really is giving some one a lifeline and hope, without your support this way we wouldn’t be here.

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What a story and what an incredible amount of good work being done. All of the financial work that they do for people in need is made possible via donations or merchandise sales, so if you are able to I would encourage everyone to pick up some merchandise from their website as not only will it allow for more of this work to be done, it is genuinely incredible looking.

On behalf of everyone you have already helped and those who you will undoubtedly help in the future, THANKYOU. Thank you for everything you do. The world is a better place with ‘Mind, Body & Sole’ carrying out the work that you do.

Until next time!

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