A LIFELINE suicide prevention charity is helping young people achieve their health and wellbeing goals with the launch of a new venture. 

Man On Inverclyde has officially unveiled its football academy which gathers all of its football activities together in the same net. 

The organisation's founder Chris Paul said bringing initiatives under the one banner will help the team drive their vision forward.

Chris said Man On has been using football to help people of all ages since it first kicked off as a charity. 

He said: "It's always been a really big part of what we do. 

"Football is a very powerful tool and it can help us engage young people and improve their health and wellbeing.

"Some young people may not be engaged with school but they’ll always go to games. 

"We need to tap into that enthusiasm for sport and use it to support them with their mental and physical health."

Man On officially partnered with Greenock Juniors in February, and the team are there to provide support to the 2006, 2007, 2008 players, and the first team whenever it's needed. 

READ MORE: Man On Inverclyde and Greenock Juniors join forces

They're now getting ready to launch Greenock Juniors 2009s in the summer, and are delighted to have Clydebank midfielder Nicky Low on board as a coach. 

Nicky said: "I’ve been working with Man On over the last few months and I’m really pleased to be driving this project forward.

"I’ve played for a lot of clubs so I can bring a lot of experience to the role. 

"Some people do go down the wrong path but Man On does an amazing job of keeping young people on the right road.

"I’m looking forward to working with the young people and building good relationships."

Volunteer Kian Lepick and goalie Michael Smith will also be on coaching duties. 

Chris added: "We're giving young people the chance to work with a professional footballer and they're getting amazing opportunities they wouldn't normally have."

Man On's football activities include football therapy on a Monday night, Friday futsal sessions, and Wellbeing Cup events in schools. 

Chris also wants to introduce free football for everyone in the form of a community kickabout. 

He said providing coaches and volunteers with training that's relevant to their roles will be a big part of the football academy. 

Chris added: "A lot of young people look up to their sports coaches as role models, so we're going to equip our coaches with all the skills and knowledge they need to provide support. 

"We'll be training and upskilling local grassroots coaches and helping them understand the importance of being trauma-informed and receiving training in suicide prevention.

"It's all about helping young people to improve their life outcomes and keeping them off the streets."

To find out more about the new 2009s team, search for Greenock Juniors 2009s on Instagram.