Salford City F.C. launches first of its kind Supporter Assistance Programme with Health Assured

Salford, England – Salford City F.C has today announced the launch of a free Supporter Assistance Programme in partnership with Health Assured, the UK and Ireland’s leading Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider. This programme, designed to support fans struggling with mental health, is the first of its kind in the UK.

The Supporter Assistance Programme will give Salford City season ticket holders instant access to a full suite of mental health support services from Health Assured, including:

• · Unlimited access to 24/7 confidential telephone helpline
• · Legal information services
• · Debt and financial information
• · 24/7 critical telephone support
• · Medical information
• · Access to a suite of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) programmes
• · Access to Wisdom Wellbeing, an industry leading wellbeing app

Hannah Bermudez, Director of People and Culture at Salford City F.C. says, “We know what a huge difference reaching out and talking can make and we are really proud that our collaboration with Health Assured will offer mental health support to our fans, as well as a place to seek legal, debt, money and employment advice.

“Our fans told us that mental health support was a key priority for us to address, and in the spirit of one of our core values ‘the Welfare of the People is the Highest Law’, we wanted to address this straight away. Our Health Assured Supporter Assistance Programme will include a huge number of additional benefits for season ticket holders, providing personalised support for our community when they need it.

“Statistics show that 2 in 3 football fans have struggled with their mental health, and a massive 94% of football fans haven’t ever opened up about it to someone they play or watch football with. Our message is clear; at Salford City F.C. we are always here for our supporters. Together we can tackle the stigma around mental health and make talking about how we’re feeling as normal as discussing the latest matchday result.”

Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at Health Assured, says, “Life demands are pressing, and, for many, football provides an escape from the demands of everyday life. A time to get away with fellow supporters and be in the moment, united by their love of the game. “Fellow fans can be a vital support network, as highlighted in a powerful video campaign by Norwich City. But with big wins come big losses, and if someone is already struggling with their mental health then all the ups and downs of following your team can have a further impact.

“At Health Assured we are proud to have been working closely with Salford City F.C., and other clubs across the UK, raising awareness around mental health via our #NoSubstituteforTalking campaign, launched in 2018. This new Supporter Assistance Programme is the next step, providing fans with direct access to industry-leading mental health support services. This is the first of its kind initiative in the UK and one we’re looking to roll out more widely with other clubs across the EFL.”

--ENDS—

Notes to editor

Nicky Butt, CEO at Salford City, and Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at Health Assured, are available for interview.

Contact: Will Moorcroft - Head of Communications T: 07984 215 851 | E. [email protected]

Miriam Payne – Associate Director of Group PR and Comms T: 07929 711809 | E: [email protected]

For more information on the Supporter Assistance Programme, please contact: Adam Derbyshire – Intermediary Sales Manager T. 07811 849986 | E. [email protected]

About Salford City F.C Founded in 1940, Salford City Football Club spent a large part of its early existence competing in local leagues, before a period of success in the 1970s prompted the Club to become a semi-professional outfit. Underpinned by the hard work of the volunteers involved, Salford competed within their means in the Northwest Counties League before earning promotion to the next level in 2008. Again, the Club’s values of integrity and industry helped Salford to maintain their position in the eighth tier before the most significant change in fortunes came in 2014 when the Class of ’92 took over. With added investment from Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, Salford achieved four promotions in the next five seasons to reach the Football League for the first time in 2019, earning additional silverware the next season in the form of the EFL Trophy. Manager Karl Robinson took charge in January 2024 and led the club to safety, finishing 20th.

About Health Assured The UK and Ireland’s largest independent and award-winning Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider. Years of experience with health and wellbeing; we’re the only BACP-accredited EAP provider at the organisational level in the UK. Public, private, and non-profit businesses rely on our clinical expertise to provide support to over 13 million lives. www.healthassured.org Health Assured is part of the Peninsula Group www.peninsulagroupglobal.com