Men in Sheds with Blackburn Rovers Community Trust “the best thing” Ross has done.

“Coming to Men in Sheds is the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve met a bunch of great people.”

To mark World Mental Health Day 2024, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust’s Men in Sheds participant Ross has shared his story on how his Clubs chairity has supported him.

In the past two months, Blackburn Rovers have helped more than 100 participants through various provisions focused on mental wellbeing.

During this time, Men in Sheds has helped 25 different people, including Blackburn Rovers supporter Ross, who has been attending the sessions for more than five years.

Men in Sheds is run in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council; with the aim of supporting men in the community to discuss their mental health and develop new skills in a safe environment.

The group meet up on a weekly basis and have developed close friendships courtesy of the Men in Sheds programme.

And Ross has since made new friends, gained confidence and attended group trips across the UK, including to Belfast.

“I joined the Men in Sheds group to improve my mental health and see where it would take me,” admitted Ross.

“It has really helped. The programme has helped me get my first ever job as a steward at Blackburn Rovers and build up my employability skills.

“I have enrolled on other Community Trust programmes such as the Community Ambassadors programme and they have helped me enormously. My confidence has been restored by meeting new people and supporting others too.”

Since joining Men in Sheds, Ross has reported a positive change in his mental wellbeing, and has now got a full time job at a warehouse in Blackburn.

He continued: “We have done some great things together at Men in Sheds, including maintaining a garden as a group, as a team building exercise, and we have also gone on an annual trip to Belfast to meet a likeminded group in Northern Ireland.

“It has had a really positive effect on my mental health, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Men in Sheds.”

Ilyas Patel, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust Inclusion Manager, added: “When Ross first came to Men in Sheds, within the first couple of weeks of Ross attending, we were launching the Community Ambassadors programme.

“The Community Ambassadors was a free 12-week accredited programme that was open to anyone over the age of 16 who wanted the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and become more involved in local life through working with others on projects that improve their neighborhoods.

“I thought it would be good for Ross to be part of that. At first, he wasn’t too sure, but I told him he could walk away any time, but he completed the full 12 week programme.

“It was about confidence building and at that time he didn’t feel comfortable being around others. He was in a room with 30 others, but that is what built up his confidence, talking to others and doing group work.

“Supporting people now is one of his greatest qualities, and his mum is really proud of him for what he has achieved.

“We’ve got to a stage now where the guys will open up about their feelings and everyone checks in on each other, and that’s the beauty about this group.”