Male mental health charity takes over Manchester pub for ‘walk and talk’
On average, men in Manchester spend two hours a week at the pub, discussing sport and telling jokes – but only 16 percent would talk about their mental health and how they really feel. In fact, male mental health research shows that 33 percent of men in Manchester won’t share how they feel over a pint with friends.
Despite pubs being named as one of their favourite places to socialise and destress, men are not talking about their mental health. But landlords are calling for this to change.
‘Rise Against Suicide’ campaign
Now HUMEN, a UK charity dedicated to fighting the epidemic of male suicide, has announced a partnership with Atlas Bar as the Manchester hub of its annual ‘Rise Against Suicide’ campaign.
The male mental health charity is aiming to raise £500,000 for men’s mental health and is calling on the local Manchester community members to join the walk, donate and help get men talking.
Supporters will embark on a 5,151m walk from Atlas Bar at 10am on the 4th of December, each metre representing a man who lost their life to suicide in the last year.
Ahead of the event, the charity conducted research into men’s habits when socialising and found that 24% of men in Manchester do not feel comfortable having serious conversations in pubs.
29% of men in Manchester admitted to their friends that they are worried about their personal lives and futures, specifically in the social settings of pubs.
12% of Manchester men admitted to needing some form of support in relation to their feelings and mental wellbeing.
47% of Manchester men admitted that they don’t think a pub is the right place to talk about worries or stresses.
78% of Manchester men believe men should speak more about personal matters amongst each other in a pub.
Cornerstone of the community
Pubs are the cornerstone of many communities, and HUMEN aims to encourage dialogue and identify mental health concerns with its pub pilgrimage and new partnership with Star Pubs & Bars, by bringing local communities together to reflect and honour those we have lost.
Men are half as likely to seek out the help and support they need for their mental health, as 14 men take their own lives every day.
HUMEN knows that you don’t have to be teetotal to have good mental health and working with pubs is an opportunity to champion healthy relationships with alcohol.
On the day, participants will be encouraged to start with a group walk, led by HUMEN and the local community, to commemorate every life lost in 2022.
Once complete, they will return to the Atlas Bar and will be encouraged to donate the cost of a typical round to support HUMEN’s work in providing anonymous and preventative spaces for men to talk, via its Mental Health Pub Menu.
Pubs in the following cities are also involved in the male mental health initiative: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Brighton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Southampton.
Supporters of the charity include Andrew Scott, Bill Nighy, Danny Cipriani, Emma Rigby, David Gandy, Tom Odell, Ugo Monye to name a few.
Space to talk, listen and connect
“We completely agree with the sentiment of pubs being an essential part of communities,” said Mark Wrigley, owner of Atlas bar.
“We see this daily as we welcome groups of people from across the city. We work hard as a team to create a safe place for our guests to socialise, one where they can talk openly about the issues that matter to them.
“De-stressing is important, but so is opening up to those we trust. When we were asked by Star Pubs & Bars and HUMEN to take part in the nationwide event, we leapt at the chance.
“We really look forward to the day itself and hope that we can play a part, no matter how big or small, in raising that money and addressing male mental health head on next year.”
HUMEN Founder and Actor, River Hawkins said: “We all need friendly spaces to talk, listen and connect.
“Pubs are the cornerstone of communities, but as our research tells us, they are currently wasted on men – who would seemingly prefer to talk about anything other than their personal trials and tribulations.
“We truly believe that this type of gathering place can play an important role in addressing suicide and mental health, if we just harness it for good, rather than the traditional ‘drink and forget’ mentality that plagues male social circles.
“This is what our partnership with Heineken aims to achieve this December. This is the second year of our Rise Against Suicide and we intend to Rise every year for years to come.
“Talking openly to friends, family & professionals are essential steps to overcome the hidden issues and barriers in our quest to lower the number of suicides and in turn, lower the number of metres we walk next year.”
How to take part
Lawson Mountstevens, Managing Director Star Pubs & Bars, HEINEKEN UK, says: “Pubs are an essential part of communities the length and breadth of the UK, offering warm and welcoming environments for men to come together.
“As somewhere men already feel at home, they are the ideal place in which to share their feelings over a beer or non-alcoholic beverage.
“As a company we champion mental health among our colleagues, licensees and their teams and so we are fully behind this important initiative.”
If you can’t attend on that date, donations can still be made to help the team reach the £500,000 target via the event’s Just Giving page.
To join in on Sunday 4th of December at 10am, register below.
