Words by Arya
It was a sunny day in London and it was also the opening of England’s Euro 2020 group fixtures, with the first game against Croatia.
I met up with Lee and friends from Walk and Talk MMH (Mens Mental Health) at Lancaster Gate in Central London, which football fans may know as the old home of the FA. We planned to walk from Lancaster Gate to Dulwich Hamlet Football Club in South East London.
It was such a nice walk through the city, taking us through Hyde Park, Victoria, Kennington, Oval and Denmark Hill with lots of talking all the way. I got to catch up with people I had met on other Walk and Talk MMH events, and was great speaking to new people joining us too. We had all experienced the challenging times of the Covid pandemic and various lockdowns, so was good to share our experiences and feelings about all sorts of things, and seeing so many people out on a sunny summers day was amazing. We stopped off at a pub for a drink and a well deserved rest, the sun was scorching, and it was amazing to catch up with so many friends, after Covid.
We arrived at Champion Hill, the home of Dulwich Hamlet FC, where we were met by a few members of the club. It was a nice touch as we walked into the stadium. Unfortunately one of our friends from the group had an epileptic seizure shortly after reaching the ground. I hadn’t been in that situation before, but I was quick to react by phoning for an ambulance to explain everything that had happened, making sure I communicated in a calm and clear manner to the emergency services whilst Lee was taking the right course of action. When the ambulance arrived our friend was taken care of and given the necessary attention by the amazing London Ambulance Staff, and Dev was taken home to rest.
We were looked after by DHFC who let us in the Director’s Boardroom, overlooking the stunning Champion Hill pitch, to watch the England v Croatia game. The mood in the boardroom was one of positivity, happiness and hope, this summer was going to be something special. The game kicked off, football and friends how could this get better... COME ON ENGLAND! Raheem Sterling was put through BANG goal! The euphoria In the boardroom was special. After the game, my friends who I’ve met through Walk and Talk lauded me a ‘hero’ for reacting quickly to the emergency situation when calling the ambulance, which I just see as doing nothing, but what I’d want someone to do if I was ever in a similar situation.
I had a great day out with the amazing organisation, Walk and Talk MMH, bringing football fans together to raise awareness of men’s mental health.
