Community comes together to Kick the Stigma around mental health!
Local businesses, supporters, and mental health advocates came together on a sweltering day on 19th June 2025 for the Kick the Stigma charity football tournament raising vital awareness and funds for West Central London Mind.
Organised and hosted by the wonderful Raisa’s Barbers based in Marylebone, the event brought together a range of businesses, players, and supporters and whilst the competition on the pitch was strong, the real goal was to shine a spotlight on mental health and challenge the stigma that still exists, especially among men and within sporting communities.
Funds raised from the tournament will go directly towards the delivery of mental health services across Brent, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth, Westminster, and surrounding boroughs. Last year alone, we supported 22,000 people and 85p for every £1 donated is spent directly on our service users. Thanks to creative fundraising efforts like Kick the Stigma, we can continue to fund the vital non statutory services that we run in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea like our walk and talk and music in mind groups which provide opportunities for connection, upskilling and support. They are also extremely easy to access.
Adam Hyland, Managing Director at Raisas Barber’s shared that:
Kick the Stigma is all about catalysing the conversation about mental health. It’s about spreading awareness and, running a barber’s we know how important it is to create a safe space for customers, colleagues, and the general community. So, we thought how can we take that message a bit further?
Lenny Wilson, Manager at Raisas barbers, also shared:
It came to our heads: a football tournament. We love football. We love mental health, spreading awareness for it and raising money for it.
Thank you to everyone who played, cheered and contributed financially, and a special big thanks to Raisas Barbers for raising over £2,500 for our local mental health support services.
If you’re feeling inspired by this and want to partner with or fundraise for West Central London Mind, you can get in contact the fundraising team at [email protected]!
Posted on: 26th June 2025