Blackpool Football Club offers a boost to the resort's tourism businesses

Blackpool Football Club has announced a sponsorship agreement with Blackpool Council which will see the branding of VisitBlackpool and the health campaign, GET VOCAL, adorn the back of the Seasiders’ new home and away shirts.

The logo of VisitBlackpool, which is the tourism arm of Blackpool Council, showcasing the UK’s most popular holiday destination and its world-class attractions, will feature on the reverse of the new tangerine home shirt.

GET VOCAL, a local mental health campaign which aims to improve the wellbeing of residents in the community, will feature on the back of the white away shirt.

As part of the agreement, the Club’s Community Trust will run weekly sessions at Bloomfield Road throughout the season with a focus on providing positive mental health support to the local community.

Coun Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Blackpool Football Club is a vitally important part of community life. Over the past three years, we have worked together to help rebuild civic pride in Blackpool as a town, and as a football club.

“Over that period, we have been proud to see the logos of VisitBlackpool and GET VOCAL displayed on the front of the playing shirts and are delighted that we are not just maintaining a presence for the season ahead, but also continuing to build a community-based partnership that is helping to deliver real change.”

Ben Mansford, Blackpool FC chief executive, said: “I would like to thank Coun Lynn Williams, Blackpool Council CEO Neil Jack, Dr Arif Rajpura and everybody at Blackpool Council for their ongoing support of Blackpool FC.

“The Club takes great pride in representing the town and community and is delighted to extend its partnership with Blackpool Council into a fourth season.

“Retaining the presence of VisitBlackpool and GET VOCAL on our shirts allows us to continue promoting the resort, its attractions and the important messaging around mental health and wellbeing to a wider audience.”

Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health for Blackpool, said: “The football club is the ideal platform to target those people and particularly males who can be at risk of poor mental health, but don’t seek help.

“We are looking forward to working with the club and the community trust to get those at risk to come forward in an environment which they know.”