Liverpool FC Women stars Beata Olsson and Cornelia Kapocs joined pupils at Liverpool College as part of LFC Foundation's Sound Minds programme, helping inspire confidence and promote positive mental wellbeing among young people.
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The duo met the girls participating in the Foundation's mental wellbeing programme, which is delivered across primary and secondary schools in the Liverpool City Region to help children develop positive mental health, resilience and emotional awareness.
Through early intervention and education, Sound Minds aims to equip young people with practical tools that support their wellbeing, helping them to thrive in school, at home and within their communities.
During the session, Olsson and Kapocs joined in with classroom-based activities alongside the pupils – including developing a confidence tree – and learning more about how the programme encourages children to understand their emotions and build their aspirations both inside and outside the classroom.
LFC Women visit LFC Foundation's Sound Mind session
LFC Women visit LFC Foundation's Sound Mind session
"I thought it was really cool to see that so many of them already had a lot of confidence," Olsson said. "I was sat next to three girls and all of them said they were going to be professional footballers and play tennis and be singers and all of these things.
"I think showing that we can do that and that it's a possible future for them is so important. As young women, we are not as exposed to people in 'cool' jobs and things you aspire to be when you're younger.
"I think it's really important in their position to see someone who is a professional footballer or doing something you're good at. I don't take what we are doing for granted."
The visit provided a memorable opportunity for the girls to hear from professional footballers on their experiences and how they have built their own self-belief and resilience on and off the pitch.
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lfc-foundation-lfc-women-visit-140126 (1)
Andy Hanlon, mental health programme manager at LFC Foundation, added: "It was fantastic to have Cornelia and Beata at the session and see the influence they had on the pupils and how engaged the young girls were throughout.
"We know that confidence can have a huge impact on a young person's wellbeing, relationships and aspirations, and visits like this help bring those key messages to life in a memorable and inspiring way."
The visit formed part of a wider programme of activity delivered by LFC Foundation in the lead-up to World Mental Health Day, which also saw the launch of the first of a series of videos on Kicking Off Conversations starring lifelong Red and UFC star Paddy Pimblett.
Other activities across the weekend saw more than 400 people attend sessions through the Foundation's Red Hot Beats programme, promoting positive mental health and learning how to help those around you who might be struggling.
Find out more about the health and wellbeing programmes available through LFC Foundation here.
Kicking off conversation - 091026
Kicking off conversation - 091026
Generic Anfield crest image
Generic Anfield crest image