A £715,000 fund to improve the mental health of men in North Yorkshire has been approved.
An awareness campaign, work with public sector staff and grants to support local organisations are all planned as part of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority project.
Professor Paul Galdas, head of a taskforce overseeing the project, said it would see the region take the lead on tackling the distinct mental health challenges facing men.
Labour York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith said the human as well as financial case for investing in improving men’s mental health stacked up.
It comes as an official report stated poor mental health among men was a leading cause of long-term sickness absence and pressure on the NHS and criminal justice system locally.
National data shows that suicide is the leading killer of men under 50, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority report added.
It stated there was also an economic case for the work due to the amount of people working in male-dominated industries such as construction, farming and blue light services.
The report added people working in those industries reported high levels of stress and burnout, affecting the performance and retention of staff.
Tackling poor mental health would help make families and communities stronger and improve gender equity by addressing the challenges faced by men and boys, according to the report.
The proposals come after Labour Mayor Mr Skaith opened up about his struggles with mental health following the death of his father Bob in 2021.
Speaking in April when the project was being planned, the mayor said opening up about his feelings, sports and socialising helped him come to terms with his loss.
Plans for the fund approved on Friday, July 18 include spending £25,000 on looking at the strengths and gaps in existing services and organisations in North Yorkshire.
A campaign aiming to break down barriers and open up dialogue around the issue of men’s mental health is set to be launched, costing £60,000.
A workplace pilot scheme is set to be run with combined authority staff ahead of a possible roll out across services such as North Yorkshire’s police and fire services.
Organisations will also be able to bid for grants from a £600,000 pot to invest in making improvements focused on boosting men’s mental wellbeing.
The project is set to launch in November to coincide with this year’s Movember men’s mental health awareness campaign.
Taskforce lead Prof Galdas, who is a researcher specialising in men’s mental health at the University of York, said the case for action was clear.
Prof Galdas said:
“We’ve worked hard to ensure this proposal is rooted in evidence, grounded in the lived realities of men in our region, and aligned with broader goals around gender equity, economic development, and healthy communities.
“This proposal isn’t about special treatment for men, it’s about fair treatment.
“If we want to build healthier, more resilient communities, we can’t afford to ignore the distinct challenges facing men in our region.”
Jo Coles, the combined authority’s Labour deputy mayor for policing and crime, said the project would also help meet local goals to tackle violence against women and girls.
The deputy mayor said:
“For male perpetrators of domestic abuse, mental health is a huge factor.”
Mr Skaith told Friday’s meeting said the scheme was an opportunity to drive investment into improving the health of men across the region.
The mayor said:
“Some have said that I spent too much time talking about health and not enough time talking about economic development.
“I couldn’t be more frustrated by this, I was elected to represent everyone in North Yorkshire and it’s not only the financial case but it’s also the human case for this that stacks up.”
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