CNWL Milton Keynes Talking Therapies was delighted to accept an invitation from the African Diaspora Foundation (ADF) to participate in the Unity Cup Football Tournament held at Kick Sports Willen Lake on Saturday 27 June 2026.

The event brought together community organisations, local residents and partners for an afternoon of football, wellbeing and community engagement. 

Our team was made up of colleagues from across CNWL alongside community volunteers, many of whom met for the first time on the day. With no previous training sessions or practice matches, the team quickly came together, demonstrating great teamwork, determination and plenty of enthusiasm.

Special recognition goes to Dr Ravi Sankar, whose outstanding goalkeeping performance saw him pull off a series of impressive saves throughout the tournament, helping to keep us in the game on numerous occasions. Equally memorable was a well-earned goal from Sifiso Jali, which was enthusiastically celebrated by the team and supporters alike.

Although results were not the main focus of the day, everyone gave their all and represented CNWL and Milton Keynes Talking Therapies with pride.

As the underdogs of the tournament, the team embraced the challenge, supported one another and enjoyed every minute of the experience.

The event was also an opportunity to raise awareness of Milton Keynes Talking Therapies and encourage earlier access to mental health support. Team bibs featured Milton Keynes Talking Therapies and CNWL branding alongside a QR code linking directly to self-referral information.

A huge thank you goes to all of the staff and community volunteers who gave up their time to participate, support the team and represent our services within the local community. Their commitment, energy and good humour helped make the day a real success.

"We'll be back next year! "⚽️💙