Hampshire County Council wins grant for mental health projects for men

Hampshire County Council has joined forces with Kent County Council and a number of voluntary and community groups to secure around £300,000 of funding.

The programme, known as Step by Step, will use the funding to invest in around 40 projects across the county.

While the majority of the projects will be aimed primarily at men, as on average men are 20 per cent less likely than women to seek support for mental health issues, women will also be included.

Councillor Patricia Stallard, executive member for public health and mental health wellbeing champion, said: ‘Hampshire has been at the forefront of developing innovative ways of supporting people to improve their mental wellbeing.

‘This is an exciting opportunity for us to test a wide range of community-based approaches to support people experiencing social isolation, and mental health issues.’

The projects could reach up to 6,000 men and will be fully evaluated.