BURY ST EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK — The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust began informally referring men to a community sports group in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in 2026, directing those who do not require clinical intervention but would benefit from community support to the Moreton Men Sports Group. The group, which started in 2024 as a six-a-side football team with 15 members, has grown to include more than 200 people aged 17 to 52.

"Where a person does not require clinical intervention but would benefit from support within their community, NSFT will make an informal referral to the Moreton Men Sports Group. These community-based connections are a vital part of delivering safer, kinder and better care, helping individuals feel supported closer to home while strengthening the overall network of mental health and wellbeing services," said Cath Byford, chief patient experience officer and deputy chief executive at the trust.

Group founder Adam Townsend said the idea emerged from his own experience seeking help. "Through my own mental health journey, I went to the doctors and noticed that there was a gap for support groups for men in the area, particularly men my age," he said.

"I wanted to tackle loneliness, and we feel like this group can do that. It embraces all people in the community. Whether you are new to the area or to the country, don't have many friends or have loads of friends," he said.

The group runs sport sessions including yoga, football and darts. It now has two darts teams and multiple football squads, including a six-a-side team and an 11-a-side Sunday league team. The group introduced a yoga program to ensure accessibility for all ages, describing its debut men's yoga sessions as an accessible way for men to relax, decompress and reflect. Plans are also in place to introduce a running club and a netball club.

Townsend said the group is seeking a more formal role in the support system. "We are trying to enforce ourself into the system, because we really feel like we can take some of the strain away," he said.

He also said the group has changed how its members relate to one another. "There is a taboo about men talking. I struggled to talk to other men. This has transformed it for me, and for our members," he said.