The Men’s Network believe it is vital we support our colleagues, allowing them to bring their whole self to work and to really feel like they are supported. International Men’s Day (IMD) is an opportunity to do this. Held every year in more than 60 countries around the globe, it invites you to come together and celebrate men and boys in all their diversity. Two of the core themes for IMD are:
- making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys
- promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity
Celebrating International Men’s Day
To celebrate International Men’s Day the Men’s Network is providing coffee, tea and cookies in Polden staff common room on 21 November between 10:00 and 11:30.
Come and join us for an informal chat, to socialise and support each other. Attending also gives an opportunity to relax and connect with likeminded colleagues.
Useful resources
The IMD theme for 2023 is Zero Male Suicide and we would like to encourage you to engage with the Zero Suicide Alliance training hosted on Moodle. The 20 minute course will develop your skills and confidence to have potentially life-saving conversations. While at times it may be uncomfortable, it will give you a better understanding of suicide, why it happens and what you can do to help prevent it. This training also works towards the wider aim of breaking down the stigma surrounding suicide by encouraging open conversations about it.
How to cope with suicidal thoughts (rethink.org) has some useful information and factsheets, too.
Connection, conversation and creation, that’s what joining a Men’s Shed is all about. They are continuously expanding their resources and have a list of useful helplines and you can find one near you.
Beyond Blue is a resource full of mental health information and support. You can read, watch and listen to stories from everyday people about the signs and symptoms they experienced, how they got support, and what they do to stay well now.
We will continue to load more resources on to the Men’s Network Teams site, so please do join up by heading to MS Teams and clicking on the 'join or create new team' button and join with team code ks7xs2t (you can also follow the QR code link further down this page). More information is available from Simon Brown sb2697@bath.ac.uk or employeewellbeing@bath.ac.uk.
The network is only in its infancy, but engagement during the first meetings is encouraging. People have been open and honest, and this had led to valuable conversations. It’s really important that we support each other, and it would be great to see this network grow to its full potential.
If you're concerned about yourself or a colleague, Care first in the moment support is freely available 24 hours a day. Phone: 0800 174 319. They are also available to offer you practical support and information when you need it most and offer a range of wellbeing services to support your emotional health, both at work and at home. Find out more about the services they offer.
You can visit our page on urgent or emergency wellbeing support and further support is available from the NHS website which has a list of support groups and helplines.
Join the Network
Join on Yammer by scanning this QR code.
Alternatively, go to MS Teams Desktop and join with team code ks7xs2t.