A Lewisham dad who experienced depression during the first lockdown reformed his retired Sunday league team as a charity club to raise funding for mental health.
Martin Webb, 40, felt his mood plummet in March as he took time off from his job as an NHS medical records clerk, unable to ignore unnerving news coverage as the pandemic swept the country.
When society reopened in the summer, he decided to rediscover his favourite past-time, organising a kick-about with his old football team, which last played in 2015.
Father-of-four Martin, from Bellingham, said: “The stress of being the wrong side of 40 and overweight, alongside the news, was really weighing down on me.
“I had asthma growing up as well. I just didn’t want to leave the house, and barely did.
“After the lockdown ended, I called on the old team to arrange a five-a-side and 16 people turned up!
“We just got talking and realised how positive and uplifting the social activity was for us.
“It made me realise how many of them had also suffered with their mental health in the five years since I’d seen them - one team-mate sadly losing his brother to suicide.
“Some of the boys decided we could have a friendly 11-a-side and see how it went from there.
“Instead of a friendly, I thought, why don’t we do it for charity?
“As the manager, it was up to me to sort it out.”
Inspired by the reunion, Martin went about researching how he could promote mental health more widely through the team, coming across Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – a leading anti-suicide charity.
In November, he approached CALM to form a fundraising partnership.
Martin continued: “The more I looked into charity football teams, the more I realised it was a thing.
“I decided we could make it a regular event, playing other teams who also raise funds for charitable causes.”
The team is named CALM84 FC, 84 being the number of men in the UK who die by suicide every week.
Support has flooded in for the project, with Bromley FC offering up their ground for fixtures, and a local building firm sponsoring kit and equipment for the 22 man squad.
Their first fixture is booked for March this year, lockdown permitting.
To contribute to their fundraising, visit their JustGiving page.
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