Skater hopes to tackle 'tsunami of loneliness'

A youth worker says skateboarding can play an important role in supporting young men's mental health and helping them feel less alone.

After facing his own mental health challenges and witnessing the impact on young people in the local skate scene, Matt Davey, from Hastings, set up the skateboarding project Head On Board.

"As a youth worker I've been to four funerals of young people who took their own lives," said Davey, who has been skating since the late 1980s.

"They talk about it in the media as a tsunami, and it's true."

Davey believes the sport offers young people more than just physical exercise.

"It's like being part of a club where everyone's welcome," he told Politics South East.

"It doesn't matter about age, gender or religion. It's intergenerational and one of the most inclusive activities I can think of. And compared to a lot of hobbies, it's pretty affordable."

At the Source Underground skatepark in Hastings, teenagers regularly meet up to skate, practise tricks and spend time with friends.

For many, it provides a space to unwind and escape the pressures of school and daily life.

Through Head On Board, Davey runs charity events and workshops aimed at supporting young people and raising awareness of mental health.

He has also given young people mental health first aid training so they can spot the signs if one of their friends is in distress.

Research from Sport England suggests one in four boys and young men aged between 11 and 24 feel lonely at least some of the time.

The government said positive spaces such as sports clubs and youth centres could help tackle isolation and improve wellbeing.

Ministers have also launched a campaign encouraging young men to take part in sport and feel part of a community.

• If you, or someone you know, has been affected by mental health issues BBC Action Line has put together a list of organisations which can help.

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