A new initiative to bring people together through the power of football, connection, and shared experience is set to launch in Sheffield later this month.

One Bench, One Match – A Whole New Ball Game is delivered by Speakeasy Club in partnership with the Sheffield Wednesday FC Community Programme and the Campaign to End Loneliness at Sheffield Hallam University.

The project creates a safe, welcoming space for anyone who loves football but doesn’t always have someone to go with. One Bench, One Match brings together like-minded fans with similar experiences including those who feel lonely, have lost a loved one, are new to the area or suffer with social anxiety.

The first official meet up will be held from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 31 January at Hillsborough Stadium as Sheffield Wednesday face Wrexham in the Championship. The ‘bench’, which is permanently situated outside the club shop and always available to fans, will be the meeting point for the event from 11am until kick off at 12.30pm.

Anyone can sign up on the Speakeasy website and everyone who signs up will receive a free match ticket.

Loneliness is rising in every age group, and the winter period and post-Christmas blues can heighten loneliness for many. Intergenerational relationships help to strengthen belonging, empathy, mental health and trust. Football is an ideal place to foster relationships across all ages.

The Campaign to End Loneliness has consistently highlighted loneliness as a public health issue with links to heart disease, dementia, depression and early mortality.

The Campaign to End Loneliness was established in 2011 to ensure that people most at risk of chronic loneliness are supported by organisations, services and policy. It moved to Sheffield Hallam University in 2024 to sit alongside the Centre for Loneliness Studies which carries out world-leading research on loneliness.

Professor Andrea Wigfield, Director of the Centre for Loneliness Studies and the Campaign to End Loneliness, said:

“We are proud and pleased to join forces with the Speakeasy Club and Sheffield Wednesday Football Club to launch this new initiative, ‘one bench, one match’. We know from our research how devastating loneliness can be for both our mental and physical health. Football is a great opportunity to bring people together, forge social connections and a sense of belonging."

"The shared interest in your club, the communal chanting, the sharing of the club’s colours all help to foster a community spirit which means that you can attend a match alone without knowing anyone and yet not feel alone.”

Speakeasy Club is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2022, with a mission to use the power of sport to save lives by empowering, educating, and supporting individuals before they reach a point of crisis.

Simon Clarke, Founder of the Speakeasy Club, said:

“One Bench, One Match, A Whole New Ball Game is about working together to create simple, welcoming spaces where conversations can start naturally."

"Football has an incredible power to bring people together, and by partnering with the Campaign to End Loneliness and the Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, we’re using that shared love of the game to help people connect — reminding them that they’re not on their own and having a good laugh in the process.”

Sean Graves, Health Manager Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, said:

“It’s great to be a part of this programme and hoping we can really make a change in the community and tackle mental health issues and loneliness.”

The initiative is supported by the Postcode Lottery Trust, LENSGO Visual Media and Goose Creative, and the Campaign to End Loneliness.