09 July 2018

St Andrew’s Healthcare recently teamed up with UK Athletics to deliver an in-house competition for patients to win tickets to last weekend’s British Championships, held in Birmingham. This growing partnership between both organisations is enabling UK Athletics to highlight how physical well-being can help support mental well-being. 

The competition during the week leading up to the British Championships was focused on role models from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) and the LGBT community in athletics and sports.

Roy Downey, the winner of our competition said it was "One of the best days of my life. I got to meet a few British champions." 

A St Andrew’s representative, said: "We offer a wide variety of sports and exercise activities across the charity to both staff and patients, and see this as a key part of mental health recovery. The recent visit from UK Athletics and the chance to attend the British Championships received positive engagement, and we look forward to building on this in the future."

He received “signatures and photos of two gold medalists”, and stated the best part of his day was “meeting my favourite heptathlon athlete – Katrina Johnson-Thompson. I’m going do it again with my family soon."