Three in four teenage boys say they had no trusted adult to turn to

A Football Beyond Borders survey finds 74% of boys aged 13 to 18 wanted to discuss a worry with an adult but did not feel anyone trustworthy was available.

Football Beyond Borders, the charity backed by Ian Wright, says many teenage boys are struggling to open up about what is happening in their lives, even when they want help. In a survey of 500 boys aged 13 to 18, commissioned by the organisation, 74% said they had wanted to talk to an adult about a worry but did not feel there was anyone available they could trust. The findings point to a wider problem of silence around adolescent boys’ mental health, with many feeling pressure to appear tough rather than vulnerable.

Fourteen-year-old Shawn Ogayanson, a pupil at The Magna Carta School in Staines, Surrey, said some boys hold back because they fear being judged or getting into trouble for saying the wrong thing. He said that can make it difficult to be honest about feelings that adults might find uncomfortable. Shawn also said that, at times, he had felt punished for trying to open up, underlining how easily the chance to talk can disappear when young people expect criticism instead of support.

That is where Football Beyond Borders says its work becomes important. According to the charity, it runs programmes for young people who are disengaged from school, combining football with classroom support, therapeutic input and pastoral care. Youth worker Amy Macdonald said the sessions are built around trust and consistency, with staff often spending time simply listening, kicking a ball around or showing interest in what pupils care about. She said that approach can change behaviour in class as well as in the sessions themselves. The charity’s wider model, which also operates in London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, is based on long-term relationships with trained practitioners, many of whom bring their own lived experience to the work. Impetus announced a £525,000 three-year grant to Football Beyond Borders in March 2026 to support its intensive programmes and help it adapt delivery for young people who may need virtual support.

Shawn said the sessions had helped him feel more confident, more responsible and better able to speak plainly about what he believes makes a decent man. He also appeared in the charity’s new YouTube series, The Shape Up, which pairs young people with well-known guests for conversations in a south London barber shop. In Shawn’s episode, he met Ian Wright for a haircut and a discussion about football, ambition and persistence. Football Beyond Borders has used prominent football figures before, including Wright in campaigns launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, as part of its effort to keep young people connected to school and to adults they can trust. The charity’s message now is less about celebrity and more about creating the kind of environment where boys feel safe enough to speak.