A new roller-skating initiative in Portadown has launched a free six week programme with a focus on improving mental well-being – all with the help of a former Premier League footballer!
The skating initiative, known as Roll With It, is based out of St Mary’s Youth Club on Obins Street, Portadown.
With an ethos of “rollin’ back in time” the initiative plans to bring roller-skating back to the youth club every weekend.
Their first major event will see a free six week mental health workshop take place with mentoring available at the hands of former Manchester United and Wigan player Pat McGibbon.
Pat – who played with Manchester United, Wigan Athletic and Northern Ireland between 1992-2002 – returned home to Northern Ireland to work as a physiotherapist whilst also playing, coaching and managing at a part-time professional level.
Eight months after moving to Old Trafford, his brother Phillip took his own life, which is something Pat hasn’t spoken about until recently.
He has begun to speak publicly about mental health issues and founded charitable organisation Train 2B Smart in Lurgan with the aim of promoting positive mental health and well-being through sport.
Pat will take a “relaxed approach”, covering a range of important topics including social pressures, the power of time, stress management, healthy eating, anxiety and depression and the role of sport in mental health.
He will also share stories from his playing days at Manchester United and Wigan, take part in question and answer sessions and stay afterwards for group or one-on-one chats.
The programme’s schedule works around separate workshop and skating sessions which run independently of one another.
The workshops can then be enjoyed as a ‘drop-in’ before or after skating sessions.
For non-skaters, the workshops can be attended as is.
Beginning on March 9, the 45 minute workshop sessions will be free to attend at 1.30pm and 2.30pm, with roller-skating sessions charged at £6.50 for the hour available from 1pm and 2.30pm.
Click here to find more information on Roll With It
