MANCHESTER UNITED LAUNCH IGNORED CAMPAIGN

As part of Manchester United's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, the club has launched IGNORED, a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of talking about mental health.

The IGNORED initiative features a poignant film, which can be viewed below and includes members of the men’s and women’s teams encouraging people to overcome the stigma around mental health. It recognises that people with mental health issues can often feel ignored and left to suffer in silence.

The film also lays down a challenge to fans and viewers to think about the impact of language and consider how the use of words such as ‘psycho’ and ‘mad’ can alienate those experiencing mental health problems.

The IGNORED initiative goes live on club channels as part of the club’s support for the nation-wide Heads Up campaign. The Heads Up campaign spearheaded by the Duke of Cambridge and launched by The FA, Premier League and Heads Together, aims to harness the influence and popularity of football to normalise the conversation around mental health.

Speaking about the club’s IGNORED initiative, Manchester United’s group managing director Richard Arnold said:

“Manchester United has a long-standing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. As part of that commitment, we have a responsibility to raise awareness and tackle the important issues in society, such as mental health.

“This film follows on from our HATRED campaign last year, which challenged racism and discrimination on and off the pitch. It sparked debate and discussion and we hope that IGNORED can do the same in the area of mental health.

“We are delighted to be joining clubs across the country to support the Heads Up campaign and play our own part in getting the nation talking about mental health in a more considerate way.”

Manchester United has its own mental health awareness training programme and mental health and wellbeing network for club employees.