Recent years have identified that men of all ages are going through a friendship crisis, with social isolation becoming a bigger issue each year in the UK.
The government’s Men’s Health Strategy has gone some way to identifying those problems and ways in which to remedy the situation.
MAN v FAT is proud to play its part in tackling social isolation, with many powerful communities being formed up and down the UK.
That includes our MAN v FAT club in Watford, where long standing coach Jumoke Adegbaju has created a strong group of guys looking out for each other.
She told us: “I love working with people and believe that building communities is so important especially in the polarising world we live in now. It has become increasingly isolating particularly in the male community where they don’t talk as much.
“It is nice to see football bring the guys together for a few hours a week to forget life worries, support each other and enjoy a game whilst losing weight.
“MAN v FAT allows me to support the guys through this journey which gives me great satisfaction especially when they hit key milestones.
“I recently had a player tell me they were pre-diabetic but as a result of being part of the programme, this has improved significantly. It makes me so proud as a coach that the guys can talk to me about things going on in their lives aside from the football itself.”
The Watford community currently numbers 44 men, all of whom are focussed on improving their health and wellbeing and Jumoke added: “The Watford club is friendly and supportive and every new member is welcomed. The guys have built lasting friendships that feed into other parts of their lives and have huge respect for each other. When milestones are posted in the Whatsapp chats, they are congratulated and celebrated by everyone.”
The recent launch of the new MAN v FAT Player Portal has been well received across the MAN v FAT community and Jumoke, who was one of the first football coaches to migrate across to the new system, has been impressed with how her players have engaged with the new opportunity.
“The guys love that they can track their own progress and see everything on one page. It makes them accountable and reenforces the message that the power is in their own hands,” she said.
“I would recommend it because it gives them a starting point to discuss how to build on their progress or if they are struggling, which I support them with.”
Want to be a part of it?
If you’re keen to be a part of the Watford community, you can sign up today by visiting the club homepage!
