According to the mental health organisation UK in England, around 1 in 8 men have a common mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, panic disorders, or OCD. In addition, three-quarters of all registered suicides are men, indeed this itself is something of a pandemic.
There are various charities set up to tackle this everlasting issue, such as Mind, Samaritans and Lifeline, but one non-government funded charity is taking to the paths of Preston Park every Sunday to help men get talking.
MenWalkTalk was set up by Matt Pollard, who himself battles with his own mental health.
“Getting outdoors was important for my own mental well-being. It was after having a few tricky situations at work and experiencing a lot of emotional challenges”
After getting the taste for the outdoors Matt soon realised the benefits of walking, especially on his mental well-being, and decided to set up the charity, now known as MenWalkTalk.
“I noticed the huge improvement immediately in my mood, my productivity at work and a sense of positivity in the situations that I faced, full of hope for a better future”.
The group of men is growing and there are groups starting to form in other parts of the country, such as Regents Park in London and Langold in Sheffield.
Each week this charity is putting one step forward toward a positive future.
