Joshua Warby Memorial Match
Branding & Design
After the loss of his nephew Joshua, my friend and his family set up a charity football match in his memory to raise money and awareness for Papyrus UK and the prevention of young suicide. I was asked by the family and friends to design an emblem and kit for the memorial match, however it ended up becoming a little more…
At the time of working through concepts, the UK was becoming gripped by World Cup fever. After an unprecedented news conference with the full England squad, left back Danny Rose announced to the press his struggles with mental health after a series of incidents when recovering from a knee injury with Tottenham Hotspur. He became an inspiration to me and began researching more into how mental health affects young people.
According to Papyrus UK, suicide is the main cause of death in young people - male and female - under the age of 35. Although time was short, I wanted to help raise awareness of what the match was organised for and is intending to accomplish, so decided to put a mini campaign involving statistics relating to the number 14 - the year that Joshua left. This was accompanied by a starting 11 team sheet, listing mental health issues that can affect young people and how they may relate and impact upon a life.
Sport teaches people many life lessons, such as overcoming obstacles and helping your teammates through tough situations by working together for common goals. With statistics showing that 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health issue each year, we can all be somebody’s teammate in working towards this common goal - mental wellness.
The J-Wing Emblem
One of the requirements when designing the emblem was the use of angel wings. As the campaign and match is to raise awareness for the prevention of young suicide and to help others in need, the wing concept seemed quite endearing and fitting, symbolising the key qualities and also serving as a gentle reminder as to why the match is being played. The emblem has been designed to feel more open and free than a traditional football badge design. Instead of confining the elements within a shield or particular shape, they work together to create the initial ‘J’, for Joshua. As well as maintaining a classic feel, this also helps to symbolise the feeling of openness, that it is okay to ask for help or talk to someone.
The Kit Design
A red and black design was specified to pay tribute to Joshua’s favourite colours and inspiration was drawn from A.C. Milan’s kit from 2004 - with the iconic red and black stripes and a team of legends from the world of football. Additional touches, such as the bespoke number 14 design and angel wings on the shoulders were added to complement the emblem. The wings add decoration to the name Joshua but were also added to symbolise the feeling of support and solidarity and of having a teammate there helping you.
Awareness Campaign
Posters & Social media
Memorial Match Photography 2018
As well as being asked to design the emblem and kit for the memorial match, I also had the privilege of capturing the match photography. Arriving a few hours before kick-off, kit fresh out of the box, we also set out the changing room for a special shoot before the game to capture the story in an alternative way. The 2018 match helped to raise over £1000 for Papyrus UK, with Team Josh narrowly missing out in a closely contested game by 3-4 to A.F.C Christchurch. Click on the image thumbnails to view more...
Memorial Match Photography 2019
The 2019 match helped to raise over £800 for Papyrus UK, with Team Josh running out 5-1 winners over A.F.C Christchurch in an entertaining game. Click on the image thumbnails to view more...
