A football club has launched new kit praising NHS workers and they are getting on board with a mental health awareness campaign.

Whitehaven Amateur Football Club based at Coach Road, Whitehaven has launched new training jerseys and T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase: “Support our key workers.”

Whitehaven AFC are also backing mental health charity CALM, Campaign Against Living Miserably.

The mental health awareness charity are looking to challenge attitudes towards mental illness and suicide in men, encouraging people to open up about their battles. Committee member for Whitehaven AFC Luke Johnston said: “We have worked with our kit provider, Direct Soccer to create a suitable design honouring what all of the key workers have been doing for us during through the coronavirus outbreak.”

A portion of proceeds from the new training gear will be donated to mental health causes in the area.

Whitehaven AFC are also getting on board with The CALM Football Collective which looks to bring fans of the sport together, encouraging positivity on and off the pitch.

“We are very keen to support mental health charities as a club, they are so important to everyone, even more so at times like this.

Mr Johnston said: “We see sport as a really good route to more positive mental health. Under normal circumstances, getting people involved in football, it makes sure people are socialising and keeping active. We are looking at doing more of that over the coming months."

It is part of a wider mental health campaign at the club with First team player Josh Green set to take part in the Manchester Marathon for MIND and the NHS Foundation Trust in October after speaking out about his own battles with mental health.