Last week, UOK was at Plumpton College for the Men in Mental Health fair.
The objectives of the 3 day fair were to
- EMPOWER students with the confidence to know where to go when they face challenges.
- INCREASE empathy and compassion for themselves and others.
- HIGHLIGHT organisations that support positive mental health.
- OFFER staff and students practical self care tools.
- UNDERSTAND challenges for people in terms of emotional wellbeing.
Over 3 engaging days, we took part in the wonderfully hosted Q&A panels, several conversations with both students and staff and insightful learning with representatives from local charities and support groups. Set in the lovely South Downs, it was a privilege to be at Plumpton College and talk about barriers for men to reach out for support.
The Q&A panel was attended by staff and students and it was very moving to be part of conversations around what self-care means to different people, how stigma stops us from being vulnerable and how feelings of being alone are more common than we think. One of the panellists very passionately advocated that “The phrase ‘man up’ should be banned.”
In 2024, a research report was created by Rosie Hayward in collaboration with Charity Works to identify how the UOK Partnership can increase its engagement with men. We took these findings out to the community and got valuable insights on what stops men from reaching out. Find more about the research here
Supporting the Time to Talk Day Campaign, it was a great point to start having conversations about access and social stigma. One of our respondents said “It’s considered uncool to cry” while other mentioned barriers about not knowing where to go.
Thanks to Alisha Hiremutt and Reece Larkin for joining us there and a big thanks to Plumpton College for hosting such a unique and relevant mental health fair.
Also a bonus, there were alpacas and wallabys on the Plumpton college campus, they advocate for being vocal about mental health too.
