In April 2014 I was privileged to be invited to a private dinner whilst I was in Edinburgh to listen to a conversation about the forthcoming devolution referendum. I left with a souvenir of that evening that acts as a reminder about my professional goal every day.
So, collaborating with others I have helped Olympic and Paralympic athletes have more of a voice through the British Athletes Commission (now the British Elite Athletes Association.) I’ve also worked with UK Coaching to help them become recognised more as an organisation not only offering advice, support and guidance to individual members, but to be proactive in the support of coaches collectively.
The sport and activity sector is often perceived as a ‘system’ with all stakeholders working in a ‘top -down’ environment driven by any of government, the sports councils, and national governing bodies. But in working to deliver duty of care in action I have always encouraged a more collaborative approach to attract a diversity of thinking and a more sustainable impact.
I was therefore delighted to offer support to a semi-professional footballer, Max Oldham, who had been recommended to contact me by the sports psychologist Dr Abbe Brady. Max had been treated very badly by the manager of a football club who had treated Max very much as a commodity and had shown no duty of care at a time when Max needed it most.
In wanting to create something positive out of a period of personal trauma Max decided to set up a players’ association for other semi-professional footballers so that they could have someone to turn to at difficult times either as players or individuals.
Having helped strengthen the role of the British Athletes Commission and given them more of an individual and collective voice, I recognised the need that Max had identified and committed my time and experience to help Max in his ambition.
DOCIAsport has been the Mental Health Partner of SwitchThePlay Foundation for a number of years and the suite of services that I know it has at its disposal made me think immediately that they would be a perfect partner to make Max’s vision and ambition a reality. I’m delighted that these introductions have been a success, resulting in the creation of is Max’s charity, Half Turn which aims to provide the resources and services to help non-league footballers deal with the challenges of the game and to empower them to live healthy and balanced lifestyles, through informed decision-making
I am thrilled that the TEAMmate facility that I helped create with SwitchThePlay which offers an informed, confidential triage service around mental health will be at the core of service provision.
As Max has spent a number of years in his playing career with clubs in the Isthmian League it is fitting that the organisation has bought into the collective vision and will support the presence of Half Turn as a representative body for the 83 senior teams that make up the league.
I am delighted to have been asked to be the Chair of the Steering Committee that will report to the Isthmian League and the Trustees of SwitchThePlay, with a remit to help Max and the charity establish these foundations and look to grow the availability of Half Turn across men’s and women’s semi-professional football in the UK.
Half Turn has just been launched at a meeting of all the Isthmian League clubs on 9th August and now the work to establish the association begins in earnest. It’s objective is to ‘champion the wellbeing for non-league footballers on and off the pitch.
At the meeting this week Max Oldham said “I want to express my deep gratitude to Ian Braid for helping make Half Turn a reality. His expertise and guidance have been integral in creating a service that fits the needs of the non-league playing community. DOCIAsport will be an integral partner in the present and future success of Half Turn and will help us provide quality mental health services and duty of care to all within the beautiful game. I look forward to a fruitful partnership with DOCIAsport and to the significant benefit we will provide footballers across the country.”
Rob Young, CEO of Switch the Play also commented. “Switch The Play has always valued working with Ian and DOCIAsport on all matters relating to the welfare and duty of care of the athletes we work with. Ian has introduced us to a number of partners, the latest being Max, and he has played an invaluable role in helping us develop Half Turn. I’m delighted that Ian will chair the Half Turn Steering Committee as he will have a vital role in the development of another much-needed players’ association.”
I am proud and excited about being at the start of this very worthy charity that is at the heart of everything I believe in around the topic of duty of care and mental health in sport. It’s one thing to talk about it and a totally different thing to do what Max is doing…walking the talk and taking action.
Please take a moment to look at the work that SwitchThePlay are doing and Max’s vision for Half Turn at these links