Three is leveraging both its partnership with the Samaritans and their sponsorship of Chelsea FC as a force for good, encouraging football fans to open up and #TalkMoreThanFootball.

New research from Three reveals that Brits are almost twice as likely to talk about football (55 per cent) than their mental wellbeing (24 per cent). At the recent game between Chelsea FC vs Brighton, Chelsea legends Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eiður Guðjohnsen, and Gary Cahill took to the pitch with 3 life-long Chelsea fans at half-time to stand in solidarity. Printed on the back of the players’ football shirts was the Samaritans’ 24-hour free helpline number 116 123.

Three is optimistic that the initiative will encourage fans and the football community at large to not only check on the score, but to check in on friends to see how they are really doing.

Three is also honoured to have been nominated in two categories at the Women’s Football Awards; for Brand Sponsorship of the Year and for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Three has been working closely with Chelsea FC on the #WeSeeYouNetwork initiative to ensure that women in sport are seen, recognised and rewarded. 

Breaking down more borders, the UK government’s Shared Rural Network programme will see residents and businesses in the Lockerbie area in Scotland benefit from significantly improved mobile phone connectivity. This is a huge bonus for rural communities struggling with poor coverage.

Alongside the UK’s other major MNOs, Three is proud to have been involved in the build; it’s the first UK government-funded rural mast upgrade in the region, with 120 mast upgrades planned across Scotland this year alone. 

The £75 million UK government investment will boost 4G connectivity; residents and businesses will reap the benefits through remote working, streaming entertainment, online shopping and banking, and greater connection with friends and family.

The mast is located in the Boreland area to the north of Lockerbie, and is part of the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN), which will provide first responders with better access to life-saving information in emergencies.