Dele kicks off a conversation

Today (Thursday 13 February), Dele visited a Tottenham Hotspur Foundation programme which aims to support young people to be active and use sport as a positive mechanism for managing their mental wellbeing.

The session, which took place across the road from the Club’s stadium at Lea Valley Primary School, saw the midfielder take part in a variety of activities with the children geared towards building their confidence, teamwork and communication skills.

Working in partnership with local mental health organisations, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation delivers bespoke physical activity sessions in primary schools across Haringey to help children get active and develop a positive mindset.

The event formed part of the Club’s support for the Heads Up campaign. Spearheaded by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, the initiative aims to harness the influence and popularity of football to normalise the conversation around mental health.

Over two weekends in February, teams from the Premier League, FA Women’s Super League and the rest of England’s football family are dedicating their matches to Heads Up. This will include the Club’s away fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday 16 February.

Last week, Club Ambassador Ledley King and Tottenham Hotspur Women defender Emma Mitchell, who last year opened up about her own mental health, joined HRH at a table football tournament in central London to launch the campaign.

Following a series of team-building games and football-based challenges at the school, Dele sat down with students to talk about the importance of opening up about their feelings, supporting each other and working in a team.

He also reflected on the pressures of being a professional athlete and how he deals with these to manage his own wellbeing.

Speaking at the event, Dele said: “As players, we do a lot of exercise and that helps with wellbeing, but also just spending time with friends and having the time to reset is really important.

“By being here today and supporting the Heads Up campaign, I want to let people know that they’re not alone. There are always people to talk to and people who can help if you’re struggling.”

Katrina Heal, Health & Wellbeing Manager at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “It was fantastic having Dele here showing his support for these young people and talking to them about wellbeing.

“From children all the way through to older people, everyone has different needs when it comes to looking after their mental health. That’s why we run programmes to help people of all ages in our local community lead healthy, positive lives.”

Fans are encouraged to visit Heads Together for tips on how to #KickOffAConversation about mental health.