STEETON continue to break new ground in the 2021/22 season, as the club prepare to host their first ever mental health awareness game.

The local derby against Ilkley Town at Marley Stadium on Saturday, February 12 will see the club host a game dedicated to raising awareness for mental health in conjunction with local charity It’s Worth Talking About.

The pandemic has seen a significant rise in the number of people with mental health issues with a reported rise of in adults requiring help and a 134 per cent increase in referrals for people under the age of 18 to mental health services.

Steeton believe that this needs to change and are more than prepared to play their part in raising awareness, especially in their local area, starting with the awareness game against Ilkley.

The club will be inviting the group facilitators and attendees of It’s Worth Talking About to the game as their guests.

Members of the charity will be on hand to raise awareness through flyers, merchandise, and being on hand to talk to those who need help or want to find out more about the work of the organisation.

Ryan Anderton, the founder of It’s Worth Talking About, said: “Games like these are invaluable to It’s Worth Talking About in terms of raising mental health awareness.

“Mental health and life challenges happen to everyone, and this has been shown more in areas such as sport since the pandemic began in 2020.

“We really appreciate the support of Steeton, and all our local partners, in helping us reach people in our area that might need our support.

“It’s Worth Talking About, our facilitators, and our attendees, are looking forward to backing the Chevrons against Ilkley and promoting our message throughout the day itself.”

Steeton manager Roy Mason added: “I am delighted that Steeton as a club can be involved in such an occasion.

“To host our first ever mental health awareness game means a lot to the club and helps promote and spread the message that it is okay to not be okay.

“It’s Worth Talking About are a great charity that do a lot of work to support mental health in our local area and we here at Steeton are proud to support them.

“We look forward to welcoming representatives of It’s Worth Talking About to our fixture against Ilkley and hope that they will enjoy their day with us, cheer us on to victory, and come back to Marley once against to support us.”

It’s Worth Talking About were founded in Keighley in early 2020 following the passing of Tom Marshall, a footballer with Oxenhope Recreation.

The charity launched their first group, the Keighley Men’s meeting, in February 2020 and have continued to expand throughout the past two years with sessions now being held in Keighley, Bingley, Haworth, Silsden, Wilsden, Thornton, Tong, Headingley, Bradford, and Cross Roads.

They run men’s, women’s, mixed, and youth groups throughout the local area from Monday to Thursday every week and during recent months the charity’s promotional beermats have been put out in the clubhouse at Steeton home games.

And the links between the club and the charity don’t stop there, with Steeton’s head of media Josh Chapman an ambassador of It’s Worth Talking About as well as the facilitator of the Keighley Men’s group.

For more information on the times and locations of the group, please find It’s Worth Talking About on social media, visit their website, or look at the charities page in Steeton matchday programmes.