Plymouth · PL3 Mon 20:00 · Thu 20:00 Sessions loading. Check back soon.
Stoke 3G · Plymouth

Football
Therapy.

No trials. No try-outs. No pressure. Book a spot, play through the week, and leave feeling lighter. Everyone Plays.

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Book your spot

Pay as you go at £5 a session. Regulars save 10% at £4.50 with priority booking. Credits build automatically from milestones and referrals. How rewards work →

Session info tap to expand

Can't make these times? Fill in our session interest form and tell us when you can play.

No sessions on UK bank holidays or public holidays.

Sessions include a rotation in goal. Where more than two goalkeepers are booked in, the first to book has first pick. Keepers are welcome to play outfield or negotiate a shared shift. In weeks without two keepers, outfield players take equal turns.

How to join

Five steps to your first game.

Step 01

Register

Fill in our three-minute registration form. Name, emergency contact, any medical info we need to know. All players must be registered before booking a session. Under-18s require guardian consent before registration is active.

Step 02

Book your spot

Select a session and pay to reserve your place. Regulars get first access when each session ends. Public booking opens 48 hours later.

Step 03

Show up

Arrive 10 to 20 minutes early. Shin pads are mandatory for all players. Boots must match the surface. Bring some water: we sort the rest.

Step 04

Play

Teams picked in advance by the session lead. 60 minutes of proper football. Mixed sides, all abilities.

Step 05

Come back

Book in when you can, skip when you can't. Tell a mate, the more the merrier. They will need to register and book in too. You get a referral credit when a friend you invite attends their first session, and so do they.

Kit and footwear tap to expand

Footwear by surface

  • ›3G pitch: studded or moulded boots only. No trainers, no astro boots.
  • ›2G pitch: flat-soled trainers or astroturf trainers only. No studs.
  • ›Sports hall: non-marking soles only.

Shin pads

Mandatory for all players and required for insurance cover. Forgot yours? Rent for £1 or buy a pair for £8 at checkout. After 8 rentals the pair is yours to keep either way.

What we bring

  • ›Match-quality footballs, properly inflated and sized.
  • ›Clean bibs in two colours, washed every week.
  • ›Goalkeeper gloves.
  • ›First aid kit, run by someone with current training.
  • ›Balanced teams picked in advance so games feel even.

Wear anything you can run in: shorts, joggers, leggings, long or short sleeves, all fine.

About the club

We provide the platform. You provide the skills.

Plymouth Kickabouts is the community football programme of Everyone Plays CIC, a Community Interest Company registered in Plymouth.

No trials. No squad politics. No cliques. Teams are picked in advance by the session lead. 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9-a-side, depending on numbers. The session runs no matter how few are booked in. Bibs on, ball down, 60 minutes of proper football.

Football is how we get out of our heads. Sessions are designed to welcome anyone struggling with anxiety, low mood, or isolation, alongside anyone who just wants a kickabout. No questions, no labels, just a game in a supportive environment.

All abilities. 16 and over on Thursdays. 18 and over on Mondays. Mixed teams. Beginners welcome. No contract. Drop-in.
The evidence

Why football works.

The research is consistent. Regular football-based activity delivers measurable improvements across mental health, physical health, and social connection. Here is why we believe in what we do.

01

Mental health

Regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise lowers cortisol and supports serotonin, dopamine and endorphin function. NHS guidance places physical activity alongside therapy and medication as a first-line response for low mood and mild-to-moderate depression. Community sport provides this at near-zero marginal cost per participant.

Evidence base · NHS · WHO
02

Hormonal regulation

Consistent activity supports balanced testosterone, cortisol, and insulin response across adult populations. Team sport adds the social-buffering effect missing from solo gym work, which is particularly important for men's health and for adults managing chronic stress.

Endocrine · Stress response
03

Physical health

Cardiovascular fitness, bone density, coordination, joint mobility, and core strength improve measurably with two hours of mixed-intensity activity per week. This sits squarely in the UK Chief Medical Officer's adult physical activity guidelines.

CMO guidelines · Cardio
04

Connection

Social isolation is now recognised as a public-health risk on a par with smoking. Adult friendships are hard to form once school and university are behind us. A weekly fixture with familiar faces is one of the few low-friction routes back into community life.

Loneliness · Belonging
05

Routine

Fixed weekly anchors improve sleep regularity, structure and momentum, all protective factors for mental health. For people in transition, returning to work, recovering from grief or trauma, or rebuilding after a difficult year, a reliable routine matters as much as the sport itself.

Rhythm · Stability
06

Freedom

Unstructured play remains a recognised driver of wellbeing well into adulthood. Removing the pressure of competition, hierarchy, and judgement turns sport from another arena of performance into one of the few places adults can simply play.

Wellbeing · Play
07

Confidence

Stepping back into sport, or trying it for the first time, is a significant act of courage for many individuals. Designing entry points that feel safe, low-stakes and welcoming is what separates inclusive community sport from traditional clubs. It is the entire reason the CIC exists. Many of our players will go on to join a club after they have found their feet and fitness, which is a success story in itself.

Esteem · Access
08

After the whistle

Turn up about twenty minutes before kickoff and you will usually find people already chatting by the pitch: the pre-game catch-up is where new faces get folded in. Staff and volunteers stick around after every session if you fancy a word, and the group runs its own polls to organise social meetups and other activities away from the pitch.

Community · Off-pitch

Plymouth Kickabouts is community football, not a clinical or therapy service. “Football Therapy” is how a good session feels, not a medical treatment. Where you need clinical or professional support, we’ll point you to the right people.

Here for you

Talk to us. In confidence.

We support our players with their goals. Whether it's weight loss, fitness, fundraising, or just needing some social time through a tough patch with injury or low mood, we're here for you. Sharing what's going on often helps, and chances are someone in the group has been through something similar. Have a quiet word with a session lead or message us, and we'll listen and point you toward the right support if needed. We're not professionals, and this isn't a substitute for medical or mental health care, but we'll never leave you to figure it out alone.

Health and mental health

If you are struggling with a health condition, injury, hidden disability, or your mental health, reach out to any of our volunteers or coaches. Whatever you share stays confidential, and, if it helps, we'll point you towards trusted local and national support services. You do not have to play through anything alone.

If it is a safeguarding concern, please contact our designated safeguarding lead directly. In an emergency (safeguarding or otherwise), call the emergency services first.

[email protected]

Financial hardship

£5 a session should never be the reason anyone stops playing. If money is tight, tell us quietly and we'll work something out: a subsidised place, a free session, or a pause until you're back on your feet. No forms, no means-testing, no fuss.

If you need to step away for any reason, just let us know. A quick message is all it takes. We won't chase or pressure you to play, but if we don't hear from you we'll probably worry, so a line either way keeps us at ease.

[email protected]

In an emergency or if someone's life is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or text SHOUT to 85258. Samaritans: 116 123, free, 24/7.

Samaritans

Free, confidential support 24/7 for anyone in emotional distress. Call 116 123.

Visit samaritans.org → Livewell Southwest

NHS community health and mental health services for Plymouth and the South West.

Visit livewellsouthwest.co.uk → Devon Mind

Local mental health charity offering advice, counselling and community support across Devon.

Visit devonmind.com →
From the touchline

Latest updates.

Match reports and what's coming up. Written by the people who turn up.

See all news
Support the club

Support Plymouth Kickabouts.

Plymouth Kickabouts is run by Everyone Plays CIC, a not-for-profit in Plymouth. Session fees do not cover everything. We have pitch hire, kit, first aid supplies, insurance, safeguarding training, coaching qualifications, website costs, registration fees, accountancy fees, and administration. If you want to help keep it going, here is how.

For individuals

Donate

One-off or monthly. Every donation goes directly into keeping sessions running and subsidised places funded. Here is what your donation goes towards:

  • Subsidised session places for players who need financial support
  • Pitch hire and venue costs
  • Equipment, balls, bibs, cones, and goalkeeper gloves
  • Public liability insurance
  • First aid supplies and kit bundles
  • Session lead costs, qualified, DBS-checked, with safeguarding, first aid, mental health first aid, and suicide awareness training
  • Community outreach and private sessions for under-represented groups including SEND, hidden disability, home-schooled children, mental health referrals, and grief support
  • Website, accountancy, and FA registration costs
  • Admin and operational costs that keep the programme running

We are a Community Interest Company, not a registered charity. Donations are not currently tax-deductible for companies but are still gratefully received.

Donate now

You will be taken to the Everyone Plays CIC website, the not-for-profit behind Plymouth Kickabouts.

For businesses

Sponsor us

Back a local community sports project and get your brand in front of players, families, and supporters across Plymouth. Tiered sponsorship packages covering kit, session branding, digital reach and co-branded community days.

  • Kit and shirt sponsorship
  • Session and pitch-side branding
  • Website, socials and newsletter presence
  • Co-branded community events
Request sponsorship pack
Get in touch

Drop us a line.

General questions, registration, volunteering, sponsorship, safeguarding, media: this form reaches us directly. We usually reply within 2 to 3 days.

Sessions currently held at Stoke Damerel Community College, Plymouth PL3
Urgent safeguarding If a child or vulnerable adult is at risk right now, call 999. For non-emergency safeguarding concerns about our sessions, email the address above with SAFEGUARDING in the subject line.
Thanks, your message has been sent. We'll come back to you within a couple of working days.
Everyone Plays CIC
The bigger picture

Part of something bigger.

Plymouth Kickabouts is the football arm of Everyone Plays CIC.

A Plymouth-based community interest company making grassroots sport more inclusive, more affordable, and more welcoming for everyone. Football is just where we're starting.

We tackle fitness, health, and social isolation, and build a platform for everyone, including people with hidden disabilities, to access sport. Our signposting network supports anyone struggling with their mental health through depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, or trauma, who wants better access to opportunities that boost their physical and mental health.

Visit Everyone Plays CIC