How Bedford College supports men's mental health

Our Men’s Health Café came about after four male members of staff walked across Hadrian’s Wall in 2021in aid of CALM, a charity raising awareness for male suicide. The café aims to raise awareness of the specific issues, mental or physical, that have an impact on men. It’s important not to treat men as a monolithic group because we will have different experiences of the world based on – among other things – our ethnicity, national origin, sexuality and class.

The men’s health forum encourages the college group to be responsive to the multitude of men’s health issues and challenges that specifically affect male staff and students. Alongside our other diversity forums, this feeds into the EDI committee, making recommendations based upon feedback from students and staff about the realities of men’s health. It also offers opportunities to celebrate awareness days host events and highlight other relevant, pertinent issues. Anyone with an interest in men’s health is able to approach and join, regardless of their own gender identity.

The objectives of the café are to:

• identify obstacles for men, related to mental and physical health,
• propose actions to the EDI committee,
• raise awareness of men’s health (both staff and students) issues at our colleges,
• share best practice internally and externally,
• be informed by recent research and organisations that assist in the knowledge of men’s mental health,
• create a forum where men can discuss topics such as becoming a father, loneliness and health, anxiety and issues relating to age,
• allow for a safe area of discussions and promote appropriate professional help where required

The cafe meets termly on Teams, which then leads to regular podcasts. There may be some opportunities for face-to-face forum meetings, events and social activities throughout the year.

It has been somewhat difficult in getting male staff to attend meetings that have been set up. However, there has been an increase of male staff talking to the men’s health chair on a one-to-one basis. This resulted in having support sessions and informal talks for male staff. A safe space was created, where a male member of staff was able to disclose their feelings of a situation within their personal lives. Having a ‘listening ear’ was beneficial to the member of staff.

A meeting was held with two male student ambassadors who spoke about their experiences of racism, and young male worries in general, and I also met with two male student ambassadors from another campus, one who was transitioning and wanted to know what men worry about.

I want to continue to promote male mental and physical health through internal systems, raising awareness, and creating a safe space for male staff and students to talk. Recently, I have collaborated with Talk Club, a male mental health charity, as a community sponsor. This collaboration is proving to be very successful, and I have completed their Talk Club ‘Captains’ training. I’m really pleased that the community manager will be visiting the Kettering Tresham campus to talk about all things men’s health.