Chelsea FC Foundation and EPIC Risk Management are delivering gambling harm awareness education to five schools across the south-east.
Chelsea FC Academy players and Chelsea FC Foundation coaches, alongside Five EPIC facilitators, delivered an afternoon of mental health and wellbeing workshops at secondary schools.
The deal is part of the Chelsea Champions initiative delivered by the official charity of the Premier League team.
“It’s great to be able to utilise and work alongside EPIC, using their real-life experiences, which I think has really touched and brought a lot home to the students,” commented Jonny Drabble, Senior Project Officer for the Chelsea Champions project.
“The facilitators spoke really well and passionately, and I think anything like that adds that extra value.
“Speaking to a lot of the young people, I think it has raised a few eyebrows and hopefully that’ll encourage some positive conversations, raising the importance of talking and knowing who to speak to and share those problems.
“We have an officer that works full-time in the school, so hopefully EPIC’s message can encourage those positive conversations to keep going in the schools.”
Chelsea Academy, Fulham Cross Academy, Fulham Boys’ School, Thomas Bennett Community College and Merstham Park School in Redhill were those involved in the workshops.
EPIC’s programme facilitator, Scott Davies, added: “It’s massively admirable; I never did it when I was younger. I think media training like this, ahead of going and doing interviews when you’re older in your career, is massively important.
“You want to get it right and there’s a lot of scrutiny around it now, and I think that talking in front of students at schools will only benefit them in the long run.
“It’s massively important for younger people to listen if people like myself and the scholars start talking about problems that they might be facing in their lives, and how we can combat those.
“It’s a great initiative that Chelsea FC Foundation and the club’s Academy have put on; we’re delighted to be involved.”
