November is Men’s Mental Health Month and we will be drawing attention to our work in Bristol, Somerset and the South West.
We will be sharing tips and videos throughout the month to:
- highlight issues surrounding men’s mental health
- encourage men to get talking and take steps to improve their wellbeing and
- signpost where men can get help.
A prominent subject for the month is suicide prevention and reducing death by suicide among men, a key aim of Second Step’s new Stepladder project, in Somerset
Stepladder’s Community Development worker Nick Dean said
One in eight men have a mental health problem and men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide. We know how important it is to create opportunities for men to talk and improve their wellbeing, so we’ll be promoting projects like Stepladder throughout the month. This November it’s time to put men’s wellbeing first.
Stepladder helps communities, groups and individuals build their capacity and skillset to support the men that they have contact with, to improve men’s wellbeing and enable men to build supportive networks.
Working as part of Open Mental Health, Stepladder links with the many groups, clubs and projects that offer places for men to go for support and connection across Somerset. Stepladder and Second Step aim to improve men’s wellbeing through helping to find mental health support and to reduce the stigma that men feel about asking for help in the first place. Please remember, Stepladder does not offer a direct support service, but helps men find the best place to go for help.
You can find out more at www.second-step.co.uk/stepladder, or on Twitter and Instagram @wearesecondstep.
Would one of our innovation grants enable you to help more men with their wellbeing?
The Stepladder Innovation Fund, is a pot of grant money made available to improve the mental wellbeing of men across Somerset as a part of the Open Mental Health Alliance. Grants of between £300-1,000 are available.
We know there’s lots of work already going on in Somerset to support men’s mental health and wellbeing and this new fund has been set up to support individuals, communities and organisations continue current and implement new projects.
Find out more including eligibility and an application form here.