The Marie Keating Foundation invites you to join them at one or more of a series of Men’s Wellness Webinars which will kick-off during Men's Health Week.  The first of these will be held on Tuesday 15th June 2021 at 7.00pm.  The guest speaker for this event is Dr Mark Rowe, and he will explore: 'your prescription for happiness, vitality, self-help and positive lifestyle changes'.  Find out more at: https://www.mariekeating.ie/events/connecting-and-re-engaging-with-eachother-webinar-week-one

You are invited to the second in a series of webinars focusing upon 'Engaging Men'.  This event - exploring 'The How of Men’s Health' - will take place on Wednesday 16th June 2021, from Noon to 1.15pm.  It is being held at this time to mark Men's Health Week 2021.  Registration for the webinar is available at: https://tinyurl.com/2vct28jt

At this event, you will hear from local projects about: the fears that some men have about joining a health programme; key elements of the engagement process; and practical examples of how to connect effectively with men.  The special guest is Mayo GAA legend David Brady who, during COVID, found a unique way to connect with men through a shared interest in Gaelic Football.

This series of webinars is hosted by HSE Health and Wellbeing, in partnership with the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland, the Men’s Development Network and the National Centre for Men's Health in IT Carlow.  Each event brings together expert insights and learning from the delivery of the HSE National Men’s Health Action Plan (titled 'Healthy Ireland - Men').

 

To mark its twenty-first birthday in 2020, the Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) undertook a research project titled ‘Men’s Health in Numbers’.  Funded by the Health Service Executive’s Health and Wellbeing Division, this sought to produce:

1. A comprehensive Trends Report that describes, in detail, changes in significant markers of men’s health on the island of Ireland in the last twenty years.
2. An infographically-driven Men’s Health Report Card that provides a lay person’s synopsis of contemporary key men’s health statistics in the Republic of Ireland.

These were officially launched at a webinar in December 2020

In early 2021 - with financial support from the Carers Support Service in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust - MHFI began work on producing a Northern Ireland version of the Report Card.  This will be officially launched at a webinar during Men's Health Week 2021.

Electronic copies of the Report Card can be downloaded by clicking here.  For hard copies, contact Belfast Men's Health Group at: https://belfastmenshealthgroup.org/contact

We’re now only weeks away from International Men's Health Week (MHW), which begins on Monday 14th June and runs until Sunday 20th June 2021 (Father’s Day).

2021 has already been an exceptional year in many ways.  The island of Ireland continues to wrestle with the global COVID-19 pandemic.  Individuals across the country are trying to re-build their lives, relationships, jobs, finances, physical health, emotional resilience, networks, routines etc.  Some people are still living with trauma and bereavement.  Others are having to re-focus their priorities.  Everyone's mental health has been impacted to some degree.

This is why the theme chosen for Men's Health Week 2021 is 'MAKING THE CONNECTIONS' and the call to action is:

1. CHECK IN with yourself to see how you are coping / feeling, and to identify any health worries that you might have.
2. CHECK UP on your family, friends, neighbours, colleagues to see how they’re doing and to offer support.
3. If you notice anything worrying or which needs medical attention, CHECK IT OUT and seek information / help / support / treatment as soon as possible.

As always, the overarching aims of MHW are to:

     -  Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages.
     -  Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices and activities.
     -  Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

However, any and all activities / actions to mark this occasion are very welcome.

To find out more about the week, visit: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2021.html

Not everybody knows about Men’s Health Week (MHW), what it hopes to do, why it needs to happen, or how they can get involved.  That’s why there is a MHW 2021 ‘Toolbox for Action’.  This Q&A style resource can be downloaded by clicking here.

To promote Men's Health Week (MHW) 2021, a bespoke poster has been designed.  The 'faces' of MHW this year are Paul, Dee, Clara and Cristian.  

Posters are available as both A3 and A4 hard copies, and as online electronic files (in a range of sizes and formats suitable for a variety of uses).  To order hard copies of the poster, use the online form, and tell us:

1. How many copies you would like.
2. Which size (or sizes) that you'd like.
3. The name of the person to send them to.
4. The full postal address (including a Postcode / Eircode) for delivery.

Copies of the online electronic resources can be downloaded from: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html#Poster2021

Even people who don't have time to do anything else for MHW 2021 are encouraged to put up a poster - in public view - to let everyone know when it is taking place.  Although this costs little to do, it will make a big difference to promoting the week!

Every year since 2014, there has been a Men's Health Week (MHW) postcard to publicise the week.  Traditionally, these cards can be displayed as small flyers in public spaces, and are often sent by organisations to the men that they have contact with.  This has proved to be a very successful means of letting local men know about the week.  Some groups have also used them as pledge cards i.e. men can write on the card how they are going to 'make the connections' and 'check in, check up and check it out' to improve their health.  Later on, they can keep this beside their desk, on their work bench, attached to their dashboard etc. to remind them of what they want and hope to do.    
 
This year, the postcards are available in both hard copy and as online electronic files.  To order hard copies of the postcard, use the online form, and tell us:

1. How many copies you would like.
2. The name of the person to send them to.
3. The full postal address (including a Postcode / Eircode) for delivery.

For electronic download, click here.

There’s no denying that the state of men’s health on the island of Ireland is often poor.  However, there are things which can be done to change this situation and men, themselves, can play a key role in doing this.  A free, 32 page, Man Manual is being distributed by the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) to mark Men’s Health Week 2021.  This poses ten simple and practical health challenges to men and, to meet every challenge, it offers three choices.

During Men’s Health Week 2021, this booklet will be available in hard copy (though, when they’re gone, they’re gone) and in electronic format.  To order hard copies, use the online form, and tell us:

1. How many copies you would like.
2. The name of the person to send them to.
3. The full postal address (including a Postcode / Eircode) for delivery.
4. A contact phone number (in case there is a problem with the delivery).

A copy of the online version can be downloaded by clicking here.

The publication of this booklet has only been possible because of the generous support given by the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland, the Health and Wellbeing Division within the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland, and the author - Dr Ian Banks.