Oxford United Coach Des Buckingham Affirms Mental Health Is Not a Weakness

Oxford United’s head coach, Des Buckingham, has stated that mental health issues “cannot be seen as a weakness.” Buckingham’s remarks were made as over 200 individuals participated in a mental health workshop organized by the club. This event, which is part of the U’s Can We Talk? campaign, was conducted in collaboration with Oxfordshire Mind and the Joey Beauchamp Foundation. A panel, including Buckingham and first-team player Will Vaulks, shared their personal experiences during the workshop. Earlier in the season, Buckingham received commendation for wearing a jumper on the touchline that highlighted the importance of men’s mental health during his team’s game against Burnley at the Kassam Stadium. The stadium hosted Monday’s event, where attendees could learn about local support and connect with like-minded individuals. Buckingham informed the BBC: “If we can play our part as a football club to raise awareness of what support there is, then we have to do that.” He continued: “Football, traditionally, has always been a very much, ‘this is how you do what you do’, and men don’t talk about that sort of stuff.” He drew a comparison between the atmosphere of a football changing room and society at large. “You want people to feel safe, you want people to people feel comfortable, but more importantly, you want people to be themselves – and to be themselves, at times, they need support and help and that cannot be seen as a weakness,” he said. “It’s important that, if people aren’t comfortable speaking to a friend or family member, they know there are other avenues that they can follow that will help them – hopefully.” Among the charities present at the workshop was the Joey Beauchamp Foundation, which was established earlier this year. Mr Beauchamp, widely regarded as one of the U’s greatest ever players, took his own life at the age of 50 in 2022. His brother Luke, who assisted in founding the charity and serves as one of its trustees, described the foundation as a “legacy for Joey” and an opportunity to “keep his name alive.” “Every penny raised all goes into the local community on our mental health projects,” he added. The event takes place as young people in the county are experiencing waits of up to five years for mental health support on the NHS, according to the charity Oxfordshire Mind. Jess Wilshire, the charity’s CEO, noted that unsupported mental health issues could be “hugely distressing.” “We know that with the right support at the right time young people can and do improve their mental health and go on to thrive,” she added. For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Details concerning its approach to external linking are available.