‘The Changing Room’ by SAMH is a national programme with a simple goal – to promote men’s mental health and wellbeing through the power of sport and physical activity.
Starting back in 2018 with football trusts in Scotland, The Changing Room is a 12-week behavioural change programme and is a great opportunity for men who want to look after themselves, better their social connections and wellbeing, and improve the lives they lead.
In January 2026, the course was introduced in Scotland for the first time in a non football setting. Arbroath Community Sport Hub worked in partnership with ANGUSalive and SAMH to deliver the national pilot for five men aged between 18 and 30.
Arbroath Community Sport Hub is part of the national sportscotland Community Sport Hub network that is funded by The National Lottery and brings sports clubs and community organisations together to improve the contribution sport and physical activity has within communities across Scotland.
The positive conversations and social connections from the pilot have already shown that this project not only is needed in the town but is making a huge difference week by week on the participants coming along.
As a result of The Changing Room programme, all five participants are going to try rugby with the local club and have reported increases in their wellbeing, confidence, resilience and mental health since taking part.
Saul MacDonald, Changing Rooms participant, said:
“What I like most is the socialising side of things. I've learned a lot about mental health, a lot of people go on about it and The Changing Room by SAMH has helped me understand more about what it actually is, and how it relates to me as a person”.
Sport, support and connection
To identify where a Community Sport Hub could add real value for people in Angus, Ross Taylor (Community Sport Hub Coordinator) and Pher Nicolson (National Programme Development Manager for SAMH) engaged with the ANGUSalive Health & Wellbeing Lead and the Angus Adult Integrated Mental Health Service.
Together, the group explored and identified there was a local need for information, resources and support around men’s mental health.
Arbroath was identified as the location due to a rise in mental health referrals. The recent opening of the new community wellbeing centre, The Beacon, was also a factor, as well as the hub’s strong track record of working with local third sector organisations to support referrals and signposting for projects in the town.
Through a series of meaningful conversations about mental health in the town, and how physical activity can positively impact health and wellbeing, a pathway was established for participants finishing The Changing Room by SAMH.
This pathway would allow them to join a local community sport hub partner for free and receive kit or equipment needed to help them take part.
Pher Nicolson, National Programme Development Manager, SAMH, said:
“We’re really excited about working with ANGUSalive on this project, as this allows us to drop the project in to a community sport hub setting and crucially for a younger than normal age demographic – where traditionally it operates in football settings.”
“Establishing the pathway is a really significant step for the project, and knowing the participants are going to PASS-accredited Arbroath community sport hub partners for regular activity shows how supporting the guys to engage with the programme is making a difference on their wellbeing and social spaces”.
From support to action
To get the project up and running, two anchor organisations within the hub were identified to train volunteers who became facilitators for the 12 week programme.
Eight volunteers from Skilz and Arbroath RFC were then supported through the full training package.
Michael Clarke, Abroath RFC, Project Facilitator, said: “Delivering this project has enabled young men from different backgrounds to come together and have open conversations about mental health in a different, respectful way.”
Rachel Osborne, Skilz, Project Facilitator, said: “The Changing Room creates a safe space which allows them to listen and learn about mental health as a topic, but also how they can look after their own mental health in school, work, at home and in the community.”
Additionally, £10,000 was secured from the National Lottery fund to help the transition from project participants into Community Sport Hub members, ensuring everything was in place for the launch and ongoing promotion.
Find out more
#MoveForMentalHealth
