Every Friday evening in Craigavon, around 20 men gather for a football kickabout organised by the charity Just A Chat, using the game as a starting point for conversations about addiction, isolation and mental health. Among them is Ben Terry, who joined the sessions after completing residential treatment for drug, alcohol and gambling addiction, and who says the group gave him a safe space to rebuild his life. The initiative, founded four years ago by Conor and Amy Hegarty, is now expanding its reach through a new partnership with a local football club.
What looks like an ordinary weekly match is structured to encourage openness among participants, many of whom are navigating personal struggles they might otherwise keep hidden.
Why did Ben Terry turn to football sessions during recovery?
Terry explained that the sessions gave him a reason to leave the house and avoid dwelling alone with difficult thoughts.
"I came to get myself out of the house and play a game of football because I didn't want to be staying in the house too long on my own head - it wasn't safe," he told BBC NI.
He turned to the weekly sessions after finishing a residential programme, noting that recovery did not end when treatment did.
"People might think you go into treatment, you do a 12-week programme, you walk out and you're fixed."
Terry said he experienced suicidal thoughts before and during treatment, and described leaving the residential programme as merely the start of a longer recovery process.
"I came out of treatment with a lot of fears and a very messy head, you're isolated away for 12 weeks. You learn a lot about yourself."
Terry has now been in recovery for close to four years and credits the football sessions with reconnecting him to something he loved.
"I found my love of football again... through Just a Chat I came back to the pitch."
"They gave me that place where I could go and just tell them my deepest darkest secrets, it's a safe place... you talk if you want to talk."
How did Just A Chat come to be set up?
Conor and Amy Hegarty established the charity four years ago after encountering a young person in crisis and discovering how hard it was for that person to access support.
"We've had people come out of A&E with a support plan, and we don't think that's enough to change someone's life," Conor said.
Conor said the charity's approach is to use shared activities such as football to build connection first, and only afterwards to guide people toward formal support.
"Once you're in through the door and stand alongside other people in your group, you feel comfortable enough to say I need support."
The Department of Health said that people who arrive at emergency departments with suicidal thoughts or in mental health crisis are assessed by specialist teams and given an agreed care and safety plan before leaving, with further follow-up depending on individual need. It also said a planned regional mental health crisis service is intended to strengthen crisis care, though it requires additional funding to proceed.
What difference has the group made for other participants?
Neil Cochrane, who worked from home and found his routine becoming repetitive and isolating, said he had been drinking more than he wanted to before joining the sessions.
"I was just waking up, going downstairs, working, going to the sofa, going to bed. I was feeling very isolated."
Cochrane said earlier attempts to find support had often felt temporary, but that the community around Just A Chat offered something more lasting.
"It got me running around and having a bit of craic and mingling with people, reconnecting with people."
Since becoming involved with the charity, Cochrane has regained confidence and gone on to work on productions including Blue Lights and Say Nothing. He now teaches drama and encourages some of his students to attend Just A Chat sessions themselves.
"I don't think it's overly dramatic to say that some of these guys wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Just a Chat."
What do the figures say about pressure on mental health services?
Northern Ireland's Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O'Neill, said the accounts from participants reflect broader strain on mental health services across the region, and noted that many men grow up believing they should suppress their emotions rather than express them.
Figures from the Public Health Agency's self-harm registry show that emergency department presentations linked to suicidal ideation have risen by 74%. Professor O'Neill pointed to evidence from Scotland suggesting that community-based crisis support could ease pressure on emergency departments.
"If we introduced that type of model into Northern Ireland, we would save £9m every year."
She added that creating opportunities for men to build connections can help intervene before people reach a point of crisis.
How is the charity expanding its reach?
According to Portadown FC's announcement, the club has named Just A Chat as its official mental health charity partner for the coming seasons, with matchday fundraising and support planned at Shamrock Park. The partnership is expected to include workshops, and organisers hope to establish separate men's and women's groups based at the ground, according to the same announcement.
Separately, charity registration records show Just A Chat has five trustees - John Hegarty, Conor Hegarty, David Ginesi, Amy Hegarty and Daryl Byrne - according to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's register, which also lists a contact telephone number of 07584 904004 and an email address of info@justachat.co.uk. An app listing for the charity states that its men's football team now has more than 60 members playing across Northern Ireland, according to the charity's app page.
A June 2025 update reported that Just A Chat had secured National Lottery funding to run mental health workshops free of charge for participating groups and individuals, according to a local news report, which also said the workshops are designed to build resilience among people facing mental health challenges in the community.
What happens next?
Portadown FC's first home fixture of the new season is scheduled for Saturday, 16 August 2026, with Just A Chat set to run the charity bucket collection at the match, according to the club's announcement. The same report said Just A Chat Youth will attend as community guests at that fixture.
For Ben Terry, the sense of belonging found through the sessions has already reshaped his personal life. He said he has reconciled with his partner and son, cleared his debts and rediscovered contentment.
"I don't have a lot in life, but I'm happy and content with what I have."
Key Facts
- Just A Chat runs weekly football sessions in Craigavon involving around 20 men, founded four years ago by Conor and Amy Hegarty.
- Emergency department presentations for suicidal ideation in Northern Ireland have risen by 74%, according to Public Health Agency figures.
- Professor Siobhan O'Neill says a Scotland-style community crisis model could save Northern Ireland £9m annually.
- Portadown FC has named Just A Chat its official mental health charity partner, with its first home match of the season on Saturday, 16 August 2026, featuring a charity bucket collection.
- Charity Commission records list five trustees and confirm the group secured National Lottery funding for free mental health workshops.
