A new football team has been launched with the aim of supporting bereaved dads in the Potteries.

Forget-Me-Knot FC brings together men who have lost a child and invites them to share their stories, swap advice and find comfort in the company of others who understand.

The group is aimed at men in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire who have lost a baby, child or experienced pregnancy loss, with the team also open to grandads, brothers and uncles.

James Routledge, whose baby Teddy died last year, said: "It's so powerful to be able to say the unsayable in a room where everyone 'gets it', as well as sharing practical advice and experiences.

"Spaces like this are so rare and needed for men.

"This community has become a life saver for me and other men."

Sessions begin with an hour of conversation where men can talk freely without judgment before a relaxed game of football, meeting every other Monday at 6:30pm at Vale Park.

The team is affiliated with Royal Stoke University Hospital and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), and is in partnership with the Port Vale Foundation.

Forget-Me-Knot FC hopes to grow into a wider community for bereaved dads with hopes to eventually play against other teams set up for the same purpose, such as Honeysuckle FC in Liverpool, Angels United FC in Manchester and Sands United, which has clubs around the country.

To join the group or for more information, email Brett Pointon at Port Vale Foundation on [email protected] or the Bereavement Midwifery team at Royal Stoke on [email protected].