World Mental Health Day was recognised at Silver Jubilee Park on Wednesday with a series of events, and David Ballheimer was there to report on what took place.

The north-west London stadium, home of Hendon FC and Edgware Town FC, is run by Robert Morris and his hard-working team, and he was the host of the World Mental Health Day event, with more than 70 interested and involved parties attending.

When Mr Morris took over the stadium, the former home of Kingsbury Town FC, he was determined to make it the hub of the local community. He rebuilt the ground and, most importantly, arranged for a 3G (all-weather) pitch to be laid.

In opening World Mental Health Day at Silver Jubilee Park, Mr Morris said, "Our aim for SJP is to be a community club and to be the best in the country.

"Today is about those working in mental health and how we can help."

Help was the theme of the morning with many local organisations making presentations, which included Anna Ware from Brent Wandsworth Westminster MIND, who held Poetry in MIND and Music in MIND sessions. MIND BWW said, "We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect."

Hendon, represented by club director David Bedford, OBE, have had their issues with Mental Health, most notably the death of former club hero Dermot Drummy during last season.

As a result, in April, the Greens instituted a policy of offering free admission to League fixtures to anyone suffering from loneliness or mental health problems – a move, which received national media attention last month. He noted, "The community project gets better feedback than any football result."

One of those young people, Omar, has become a focal point of this policy and he was on hand to officially open the stadium's community garden, situated pitchside, just by the players' tunnel. Last year, Omar came to the ground and was made so welcome, as a gesture of thanks, he made a donation to the stadium management.

Mr Morris really didn't want to accept the money, so it was decided to do something in his name and it was decided to set up the community garden.

Another highlight of the day was the unveiling of a mural by local artist The Fandangoe Kid. Put together with the assistance of pupils from Hendon School, the 25ft long piece of art contains thoughts on mental health, seeking treatment, giving advice and the power of positivity in thought and deed.

Gabby Horeka, representing Dementia Cafes Brent, spoke of the success of this initiative, saying, "Last year we had two Dementia Cafes; there are now 12 Dementia Cafes in Brent.

"Dementia Cafws are where people can meet up with others who will often be in a similar situation to yourself, either suffering from a form of dementia or being the carer of someone suffering from the condition"

HRH, Prince William, President of The Football Association, and HRH, Prince Harry, who went public with their own situation following the death of their mother, provided a video of the launch of their mental health charity, Heads Together.

Community Action of Dementia – Brent (CAD–Brent) repeated the mission statement to support the borough's residents and businesses to become a dementia-friendly borough which enables an improved wellbeing for people living with dementia.

One such building operated by CAD–Brent is Ashford Place in Cricklewood, where there is also a large community garden. Their representative Danny Maher said, "Our aim is to change the perception of dementia."

The Middlesex County Football Association was also in attendance to present an their Community Project of the Year award to the Mental Health League, a football organisation set up at Silver Jubilee Park. Run by Richard Hay, he was joined by Mohamed Muse and Omar, two of those who have benefited from this initiative.

Muse or Mussi, as he is known, wanted to deflect the praise, but admitted that he had been helped enormously by the project. And Bryony Gates, a Brent Occupational Therapist, talked of the importance of the weekly sessions in helping the treatment of those who had physical and mental issues.

Mr Hay received the award from Colin Williams and Kelly Hancock of the Middlesex County FA and said, "Thanks for the support. The aim for Mental Health Football is to break down the stigma of mental health."

Useful Links
MIND BWW – www.mind.org.uk email: supporterrelations@mind.org.uk
CAD-BRENT – www.cad-brent-org.uk
BRENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES – www.cnwl.nhs.uk