Thousands of football fans supported a Buckinghamshire mental health campaign during a match this week.

Around 5,500 fans backed Time to Change Buckinghamshire – which aims to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness – during the game between Wycombe Wanderers and Charlton Athletic on Tuesday at Adams Park.

Wanderers and its Sports Education Trust joined forces with Time to Change to encourage fans to talk about mental illness, to know how to spot the signs in a relative or friend and how to start a conversation with someone.

Players joined in by sharing videos where they spoke about their experiences with mental health issues.

At half-time supporters were invited to turn on lights on their mobile phones and pledge to change the way they think, talk and act around the topic of mental health.

The club also dedicated the cover of its matchday programme to the Time to Change movement, which was designed by seven-year-old Theo Richardson.

And the Sports Education Trust also signed their Time to Change employer pledge - demonstrating their commitment to changing how mental health problems in the workplace are treated.

Chairman of Wycombe Wanderers, Trevor Stroud, said: “It was a proud night for the club to be able to partner with Time to Change Buckinghamshire and help deliver the important messages around mental health, and stamping out the stigma and discrimination that can often go with it.

“The Time to Change team did a fantastic job of engaging with our fans to remind them that help is at hand for those that need someone to talk to, and also that we all have a duty to look out for the people close to us to make sure they’re okay.

“Once again, I thank everyone who was involved with this initiative and look forward to partnering with Time to Change again at another matchday in the not-too-distant future.”

Cabinet member for community engagement and public health at Bucks County Council, Noel Brown, said: “We know that there continues to be stigma attached to mental health problems which can make it very hard for someone affected to open up about their problems to others.

“We are grateful to Wycombe Wanderers Football Club for agreeing to join forces and dedicate their match to this important cause.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to show fans that a simple conversation can break down the barrier and could even be life-changing for the person affected by mental health problems.

“I’m hoping that people will be inspired to start more conversations with family, friends and colleagues. Together we can wipe out stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health problems.”

For more information on Time to Change visit www.timetochangebucks.org