Press Release
Are You Really MatchFit?
The expression ‘match fit’ in football is used to describe whether a player has the
fitness to perform with intensity and to the best of their ability for 90 minutes, but a
health improvement project recently launched in Leicester has brought another
meaning to the phrase.
Leicester-based Community Projects Plus is aiming to improve amateur footballers’
awareness of health issues, specifically focusing on Chlamydia screening, alcohol
awareness and stopping smoking, through the MatchFit Health project.
Funded by the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, the project is working in
partnership with the Leicestershire and Rutland County FA and The Alliance Football
League to screen footballers, aged between 18 and 24-years, for Chlamydia.
The project’s other targets include providing information on the impact and effects of
alcohol and details about the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland NHS Stop!
Smoking services, to help support more players to give up smoking.
MatchFit was launched on January 1st this year and will run until the end of March.
Within the first week, a total of 147 players were screened and the project is aiming
to screen as many local footballers as possible.
LPT staff, in partnership Community Project Plus, have been attending matches and
training sessions to carry out Chlamydia screening tests, which simply involves
players providing a urine sample that is sent to the lab for testing. The players
receive an anonymous text with the results within 7 to 10 days.
Each club taking part receives a good quality match ball and is entered into a free
prize draw to win a full team kit. Players can also win individual prizes on match
days. Any teams interested in taking part in this programme must have at least five
players aged 24 and under who are prepared to take a test, as well as changing
facilities and toilets.
Jon Hunt, from Community Projects Plus, said: “Matchfit is about using the sport
arena to raise awareness of health issues. It’s an innovative approach to health care
that supports people who may not usually take part in these types of schemes.
“Community Projects Plus would like to thank the Leicestershire Partnership NHS
Trust, The Alliance Football League and The Leicestershire & Rutland County FA for
supporting the Matchfit project.”
Patsy Richards, Health Improvement Service Manager at the Leicestershire
Partnership NHS Trust, added: “Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is pleased to
be working in partnership with Community Projects Plus delivering the MatchFit
project. We have explored many ways of engaging young people in health
programmes, but working with CPP, who have excellent engagement with sporting
teams on the ground, has enabled us to be more innovative in reaching young
people who usually may not have taken part in our screening programmes.
Improving the health and lifestyle choices of local communities is key to our work”
Anisha Jaiyeola, Chlamydia Screening Advisor, who has been attending the football
MatchFit events, added “The reception from the players and teams has been great!
A fresh early morning start full of banter has created a unique atmosphere and
enabled us to work with players who are really interested in their health but would
not normally access services.”
A group of students from Loughborough University recently took part in screening at
the Superstars event, which was part of their Health and Well Being week, and
players from local clubs, FC Tumar, Countesthorpe Athletic, Reem Team and NRI
who play in the Alliance Football League, have also been screened.
One player, Danny Earley said, “MatchFit made us think more about our health and
it’s great for our team to get a quality match ball because we took part! I’d encourage
more teams and players to sign up.”
If your team or sports club is interested in taking part in the screening programme
please contact [email protected]
If you are aged between 16 and 24-years-old and would like to receive a free
Chlamydia test then text ‘MatchFit’ and include your name, address and date of birth
to 88020.
Editor’s Notes
The attached photographs show a group of students from Loughborough University
and FC Tumar; two of the teams that have taken part in who have taken part in the
MatchFit screening.
Community Projects Plus is a new not-for-profit organisation that was established in
Leicestershire in 2012 that is health improvement programmes, educational activity
and social inclusion programmes across Leicester City and Leicestershire, using
sport to engage people of varying ages.
The organisation aims to create more opportunities for communities to take part in
sport, physical activity and play, supporting local organisations, schools and clubs to
source funding to develop sustainable projects to create more activity for people to
participate in.
The MatchFit programme is funded by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.
For any further information please email: [email protected]
Or visit...
www.communityprojectsplus.org
twitter - @yourcpp
More information about the free Chlamydia screening programme visit t
http://fillthepot.info/Default.aspx