Jamie once felt he was fighting an uphill battle when it came to uncovering his inner self-belief and confidence, but a sequence of events would eventually lead him to the outstretched arms of the jovial team at Ipswich Town Foundation.

At the turn of the year, Jamie joined the Foundation’s Advantage Mentoring Talking Tactics programme – a NHS-backed provision that offers one-to-one mentoring for 11-21-year-olds with mild to moderate mental health challenges.

The service was launched in partnership with Advantage Mentoring and NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board at the tail end of last year, with a focus on supporting young people in Ipswich and the greater area through the delivery of life-changing, mental health mentoring programmes.

Fast forward six months and 16-year-old Jamie has taken remarkable leaps in the visible improvement of both his mental and physical health through working with his mentor, and the Foundation’s Family Activities Manager, Lauren Fellingham.

Not only has his involvement with the service bolstered his confidence, but his career prospects have also developed, participating in interviews, and even securing a position as a Kiosk Assistant on matchdays at Portman Road.

Lauren said: “Jamie has come on incredibly. I don’t even recognise the boy he is now. Compared to when he first stepped in here, he’s grown in confidence, he’s having conversations with people in a really grown up and mature way.

“He’s confident enough to walk into an interview and get the job first hand so he has grown dramatically, and it isn’t just him – it’s his wider network as well.”

Jamie’s story: ‘It feels like everyone’s family’

Jamie’s story: ‘It feels like everyone’s family’