03/09/2026
The Mental Health Support Teams at Nottinghamshire Healthcare have been working with Nottingham Forest Football Club (NFFC) on an exciting new pilot project. The project will involve delivering workshops in secondary schools, focusing on performance anxiety, as well as general support for looking after your mental health. The aim is to normalise anxiety and get young people talking about it in daily life, and help identify the difference between pre-performance nerves, which are very normal and healthy, and chronic anxiety that may negatively impact a person’s wellbeing and performance, and knowing when and how to seek help.
The team wanted to focus on engaging more boys to access services, and generally get male teenagers to talk more about their mental health. The MHST recognised that working with the Nottingham Forest Academy players, who are aspiring role models to many teenagers in Nottinghamshire, may help to create a more engaging session, relatable content, and highlight how everyone at every level can benefit from talking about mental health.
Performance anxiety was chosen as the theme as it affects everyone, such as with exams and hobbies for example.
The workshops will be delivered by the Mental Health Support Teams in schools and will include video clips from the Nottingham Forest Football Club (NFFC) Academy players who will be discussing anxiety and mental health in general. Plus answering questions about their pre-performance routine and how they prepare for a game, and how they look after their mental health.
Laurie Potter, one of the Mental Health Support Team leads at Nottinghamshire Healthcare commented: “The Academy players and staff at the club were very engaged and supportive throughout this project. It was clear that the club has a strong mental health ethos, and promotes peer support and inclusivity at all levels.
“It’s great to see that the young players feel safe to be open about topics such as mental health, and that support goes way beyond the pitch. We are excited to pilot this workshop in our schools and feel the impact will be really powerful in reducing stigma and providing knowledge and skills towards building resilience and knowing when to access support.”
NFFC take part in a number of outreach projects supporting their community and this was something they wanted to get involved with.
As well as supporting others, it has helped the players gain key life skills and encouraged them to talk more themselves about mental wellbeing, resilience and share strategies and experiences.
Joseph Sullivan Care Group Director, Mental Health at Nottinghamshire Healthcare said: "At Nottinghamshire Healthcare, we are committed to helping young people feel confident talking about their mental health. Our partnership with Nottingham Forest Football Club shows how powerful collaboration can be in breaking down stigma — particularly among boys and young men. By normalising conversations around performance anxiety and wellbeing, we hope to build resilience and ensure young people know when and how to seek support.
“This pilot reflects our shared commitment to supporting the emotional wellbeing of young people across Nottinghamshire."
Alex Bailey, Academy Player Care and Wellbeing Lead at Nottingham Forest, said: "This is a unique project that highlights so many useful outcomes for us. Primarily, it’s a great initiative that will hopefully empower young people across the county to be more forthcoming in talking about things they might be going through.
“It’s important to understand the power and reach of the Forest brand, which we should never take for granted. With our young players taking the lead in something like this, it reminds them of their positions as young role models and in turn gives them a platform to be open about their own experiences. We are delighted to be involved and are really excited to see the project roll out over the coming months.”
The workshop will be delivered in a local MHST school in September, with the plan to roll out more widely across the county after the pilot.
