Wellbeing trust stages special 'men-only' mental health event on Hayling to tackle national suicide epidemic

THE head of a wellbeing trust has urged men not to fear speaking out if they’re worried about their mental health and said: ‘You’re not wasting our time or yours.’
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Wendy Lee, the head of wellbeing at Options Wellbeing Trust, issued the plea in a bid to try and help stop men from suffering in silence.

And to help combat this issue, Options Wellbeing Trust is partnering with Northney Farm Tearooms on Hayling Island to stage a free mental health action day this month – which will include a special, male-only session.

Read More
Royal Marine from Portsmouth fighting terminal brain cancer and given months to ...
Options Wellbeing Trust's head of wellbeing, Wendy LeeOptions Wellbeing Trust's head of wellbeing, Wendy Lee
Options Wellbeing Trust's head of wellbeing, Wendy Lee
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It comes as figures revealed suicide is the biggest killer among men under 35, with three out of every four people who take their own lives being male.

Wendy said: ‘There’s a stigma attached to men’s mental health, so to all men out there, you’re not wasting yours or our time.

‘Overcome the idea that you wouldn’t usually do this kind of thing and get in touch before things get worse for a free, friendly and confidential chat.’

The event is being held on Sunday, February 13, a day before Valentine’s day which can be a particularly lonely time of year, and includes a range of professionally delivered sessions around physical and emotional wellbeing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lottie Fogden, general manager at Northney Farm Tearooms, said: ‘Following a hard 18 months, many of us may be feeling low, not sure how to manage moving forward or may have relatives and friends having similar feelings.

‘Our event includes workshops and guest speakers, as well as taster sessions for pilates and yoga, to help promote and maintain a level of wellness and wellbeing from mental health to nutrition, rehabilitation and recovery.

‘In the evening, we’ve a men-only event too. It promises to be a refreshing and relaxing day, and we hope lots of people come along.’

The day programme will run from 10am until 5pm. The men-only event will start at 6.30pm and finish at 8.30pm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All events are free to attend. A buffet lunch including vegan and vegetarian options will also be available to purchase on the day.

See optionswellbeing.co.uk for more details.

For those in need of support, call the Samaritans for free on 116 123

If it is an emergency please call 999.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, with 70 per cent fewer adverts for less than 20p a day.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.