The ‘Let’s Talk… Men’s Mental Health’ event taking place in Eastbourne next month is aimed to give men and women a place to engage in honest conversation about men’s mental health and help sufferers to find vital support.
Taking place on Wednesday, November 9, the free event is being supported by ManKind, the Samaritans and The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust.
The evening will be hosted by Paul Roskilly from ManKind, who established the Eastbourne based support organisation with Ian Pickard in 2020 to provide a safe environment for men to meet, talk and seek the help they need.
Paul said: “Following the tragic loss of a friend who took his own life, Ian and I set up ManKind to provide a safe space for men to talk about their feelings and to try and remove the stigma attached to poor mental health, especially in men.
“We all know the importance of talking but unfortunately men tend to bottle things up. They don’t share with their friends, and if they do they often meet resistance from other men who don’t want, or don’t know how, to listen.”
Speakers who will be sharing their personal stories include Peter Bray who will speak about his own ManKind journey, and James who will talk about mental health struggles from a younger person’s perspective.
Partners, family and friends are also impacted greatly by men’s mental health, and Amanda will discuss her own personal experiences of living with a man and his mental health.
The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust which works closely with ManKind and provides counselling and support services will also be at the event.
In addition, the East Sussex library service has a collection of online tools and resources to support men’s health throughout the year including book recommendations to help support wellbeing, information about events, and links to podcasts and forums offering help and advice.
‘Let’s Talk… Men’s Mental Health’ is being held during Men’s Health Awareness Month, which is dedicated to raising the awareness of men’s health issues including men’s mental health.
Paul continues: “If we’re able to talk to each other about our mental health we’ll have more confidence talking about other issues. A lot of men’s health issues are caused by stress so the more we talk about men’s mental health the better. It’s not weak to speak.
“If you are struggling with your own mental health, or you are worried about a man in your life, please get in touch.”
‘Let’s Talk… Men’s Mental Health’ will be held at Eastbourne Library at 7pm on Wednesday, 9 November. To book a free place please visit www.eastsussex.gov.uk/mensmentalhealthevent
For more information on ManKind, including how to join their online and face to face meetings, visit https://mankindcic.co.uk/
Urgent mental health help and advice can be found on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/.
