Football has always been about more than what happens on the pitch.
It brings people together, creates friendships, builds communities and gives people a shared sense of belonging.
For SNN Sports, that sense of community is also why we believe football can play a role in something much bigger.
Men’s mental health.
That is why Men Matter Scotland has become SNN Sports’ charity of choice, with the independent Scottish sports media platform supporting the charity through its events, fundraising activity and football community.
From the SNN Sports Legends & Legacy Gala Dinner to the charity football match at Holm Park, the aim has been simple: use the reach and community of Scottish football to raise awareness, raise funds and help support an organisation working directly with men across Scotland.
Who are Men Matter Scotland?
Men Matter Scotland was founded in 2019 by three dads in Drumchapel who were struggling with their own mental health.
What began as a local group has grown into an organisation focused on improving men’s mental health and wellbeing, preventing suicide and reducing the stigma that can stop men from asking for help.
The charity’s work is built around peer-to-peer support, with people who have their own lived experience helping other men who may be going through difficult periods.
Men Matter Scotland currently has a staff team of 12 and more than 30 volunteers, with the organisation describing its approach as people who have “been through it, helping guys going through it.”
Although its roots are in Drumchapel in north-west Glasgow, the charity now supports men from across Scotland and is expanding its work into more communities.
Its current impact figures include:
- 4,000 registered members
- 2,100 people with suicidal ideation made safe
- 500 men attending the Hub each week
- 2,500 hours of free counselling delivered annually
- 110 men with acute mental-health needs referred each month
- More than 30 volunteers involved in its work
These are not simply statistics. Behind every number is an individual, a family and a community.
Creating a place where men can talk
One of the most important aspects of Men Matter Scotland’s work is its peer-to-peer model.
The charity provides weekly groups, activities and sessions where men can meet in a safe and friendly environment, talk openly, be listened to and receive support without judgement.
And importantly, men do not have to arrive ready to talk.
Men Matter Scotland says people can take part in activities, meet others, learn self-management techniques, get active and have fun, or simply come along and listen without any pressure to speak.
That approach is particularly important when talking about men’s mental health.
Sometimes the first step is not sitting down and explaining everything that is going on.
Sometimes it is simply walking through the door.
Why football matters
Football already has one of the biggest communities in Scotland.
It connects people across generations, backgrounds and communities.
For SNN Sports, that makes football a powerful platform for starting conversations that extend far beyond football itself.
A supporter might come to a match because they love their club.
A former player might turn up because they want to see old teammates.
A business might become involved because it wants to support Scottish football.
But all of those people can also become part of a conversation about something that affects communities across the country.
That is where SNN Sports believes its platform can make a difference.
The Legends & Legacy Gala Dinner
SNN Sports’ support for Men Matter Scotland was brought to the forefront through the Legends & Legacy Gala Dinner, held at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza on 10 July 2026.
The event brought together football legends, supporters, businesses and members of the wider sporting community for an evening celebrating football while raising funds and awareness for Men Matter Scotland.
Former footballers including Billy Davies, Bobby Petta and Maurice Ross were among the football names involved, while the evening was hosted by Gordon Smith and Gerry McDade.
Guests enjoyed a drinks reception, three-course dinner, interviews and Q&A sessions, entertainment, a charity auction and fundraising raffle.
But the football names and entertainment were only part of the reason for the evening.
The real purpose was supporting the work taking place every day at Men Matter Scotland.
As SNN Sports CEO Lee Anderson said ahead of the event:
“The Legends & Legacy Gala Dinner is about much more than football.”
That remains at the heart of the partnership.
Taking the message onto the football pitch
The relationship between SNN Sports and Men Matter Scotland has also extended beyond the gala dinner.
SNN Sports hosted a dedicated charity football match at Holm Park in Clydebank, bringing together Team Men Matter Scotland and Team SNN Sports in September 2026.
The match gave supporters the opportunity to get involved directly, with players and football personalities joining the teams while fundraising for Men Matter Scotland.
The event was another example of how football can be used to bring people together around an important cause.
There was a football match to be played.
But there was also a bigger reason for everyone being there.
To support men.
To support mental health.
And to help ensure that more men know that support is available.
Why Men Matter Scotland is SNN Sports’ charity of choice
SNN Sports is an independent Scottish sports media platform, but its ambition has always extended beyond reporting on football.
With a growing audience across Scotland and the wider UK, the platform has an opportunity to use its reach for causes that matter to the communities surrounding the game.
Men Matter Scotland was a natural fit.
Its work is rooted in community.
Its work is rooted in football and wider sporting communities.
And, most importantly, its work is focused on helping men who may be struggling with mental health, loneliness, isolation or suicidal thoughts.
For SNN Sports, supporting the charity is not about a single event.
It is about building an ongoing relationship and using the platform available to us to help more people discover the work Men Matter Scotland is doing.
The numbers tell one part of the story
Men Matter Scotland’s work comes against a backdrop of a significant difference in suicide rates between men and women in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland recorded 704 probable suicide deaths in Scotland in 2024, including 518 males and 186 females. The suicide mortality rate for males was 2.9 times the rate for females.
But statistics can never tell the full story.
Behind every death is somebody’s son, brother, dad, husband, partner, friend or colleague.
And there are also thousands of men who may be struggling without ever appearing in a statistic.
That is why early intervention, community support and creating environments where men feel able to ask for help matter.
More than fundraising
For SNN Sports, the relationship with Men Matter Scotland is about more than putting a charity logo on an event.
It is about awareness.
It is about conversations.
It is about giving the charity another platform to explain what it does.
And it is about using football’s ability to bring people together for something positive.
The Legends & Legacy name itself reflects what SNN Sports wants its events to represent.
Football creates legends.
Football creates memories.
But it can also create a legacy.
If an event can raise money, introduce somebody to an organisation that can help them, encourage a conversation or simply remind someone that they are not alone, then its impact can continue long after the final whistle.
Supporting Men Matter Scotland
Men Matter Scotland is continuing to grow its support network across Scotland, while maintaining its base in Drumchapel.
The charity welcomes fundraising, donations and supporters, and encourages people to get involved in different ways. It also offers opportunities for people organising their own fundraising activities to work directly with the charity.
For SNN Sports, that means the partnership does not end when an event finishes.
The ambition is to continue supporting Men Matter Scotland and helping shine a light on the work being carried out by its staff, volunteers and peer-support network.
Because ultimately, football is about people.
And if the football community can help more men find support, feel less isolated and start conversations that could change their lives, then the impact of the game can go far beyond 90 minutes.
Need support?
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, Men Matter Scotland provides support for men through peer-to-peer networks, counselling, wellbeing activities and community programmes.
Men Matter Scotland
🌐 Official website: www.menmatterscotland.org
📞 0141 944 7900
✉️ contact@menmatterscotland.org
Registered charity number: SC049483
You can also find information about fundraising and supporting the charity here:
Men Matter Scotland says it is registered with and regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
