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Our Mission
Unite communities through football. Raise vital funds for mental health charities. Build a world where talking about mental health is normal, support is there for everyone, and no one faces challenges alone.
Our Values
Football: We bring people together through the beautiful game.
Community: We create spaces where people can support, uplift, and inspire one another as a team - on and off the pitch.
Mental Health: We break the stigma around mental health and start conversations that matter.
Charity: We donate 100% of profits to mental health services. No overheads. No exceptions.
Our Story
We started the Mental Health World Cup in 2012, when we lost our youngest brother Lanfranco to suicide.
Struggling with our grief, we organised a casual kickabout to unite Lanfranco’s loved ones. It became something of an annual tradition, keeping his memory alive through a sport he was so passionate about.
As the games grew bigger, we began to realise the potential in what we had created – a space where people could come together through a beloved sport, share in their experiences with mental health, and gather donations for mental wellness charities across the UK.
In 2016, we decided to go all in and transform our grassroots tournament into something bigger, with more players, more charities, and more of an impact. The Mental Health World Cup was officially born.
2012
Our annual tournament begins, with jumpers for goal posts, cake stands for half time, and a determination to use football to talk about mental health.
Our Trustees
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Giancarlo Gaglione,
Founder
Started this as a kickabout in a local park in memory of his brother; still shows up to every match.
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Chloe Wilson,
Volunteers Lead
Recruits and runs the volunteer army that makes matchday happen.
Mia Fotheringham,
Marketing & Comms
Gets the word out and keeps the story front and centre.
Danielle Gaglione,
HR & Governance
Keeps the charity legit and the people behind it looked after.
Andi Hill,
Ops & Production
Turns an empty stadium into a tournament.
Mark Underwood,
Tech & Data
Builds and runs the systems holding the whole thing together.
Sam Hewitt,
Finance
Makes sure every pound raised actually gets where it's meant to go.
Gennaro Sarno,
Ops & Production
The other half of making matchday actually run on the day.
Our Impact
Football changes lives. Not because of the goals, the trophies, or the competition — because of what happens between them: conversations, friendships, communities built on a shared pitch.
In 2026, that meant 1,400 players, 178 teams and four professional football stadiums coming together for one purpose — and £445,000 raised for frontline mental health organisations, taking what we've raised since 2012 past £1.35 million.
This report is that story. Not just the numbers, but the people behind them.
In memory of Lanfranco Gaglione
