It's a Goal!

By Helen Clark

Malcolm Mcclean is an international speaker, consultant, social entrepreneur and author of several books. He has been involved in numerous high profile projects including 'Think like an eight year old', designed to help sporting organizations think more creatively about how to get people more physically active. As a result he has visited more sport and physical activity projects than almost anyone in the world - 110 in one year alone...

Malcolm's concern with regards to social issues led to the creation of the 'It's a Goal' programme. 'Seven thousand people commit suicide every year,' says Malcolm. 'Most of them are suffering from a treatable illness... depression. One in three people will have it at some time in their lives and it costs the NHS 340 million pounds a year in drugs alone, and younger men are most at risk.' Malcolm thought about the implications of these facts and how he could make a difference. 'If young men are most at risk of suicide, and they won't go to the doctors, where do they go?' asks Malcolm. 'You see them every Saturday sitting in football grounds. So, imagine if, when a man was depressed, instead of sending him to a doctor or giving him tablets, you sent him to a football stadium. Instead of focusing on the negative, debilitating aspects of depression, you concentrated just on being the best you can.'

Malcolm went on to devise an eleven-week programme 'It's a Goal' which always begins with a discussion about a football issue, and then applies these tactics and techniques to deal with life issues that are causing the depressions. 'For example,' says Malcolm 'session one is about goals. So the men begin talking about great goals they have seen. How managers set goals for their teams' and then we ask them what goals they have in their life.' More often than not these men have never thought about personal goals and so over the following eleven weeks they learn tactics and techniques for taking more control over their lives, just by talking about football.

The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation has donated over �250,000 to the project which is currently situated in four football league clubs - Macclesfield Town, Manchester United, Plymouth Argyle and Stockport County.

To find out more go to: www.itsagoal.org.uk