More than 50 colleagues attended last Friday’s Let’s Tackle Men’s Mental Health event, with colleagues leaving saying the sessions were “inspiring”, “hard-hitting” and “insightful.”

Two CHFT colleagues showed great courage in sharing their own stories.

General Manager, Dominic Bryan, kicked-off the event with his own personal story, describing the signs and symptoms that eventually led to him reaching out for support to improve his mental health.  And fellow General Manager, Jason Bushby, spoke of his time in the Armed Forces. He shared the impact his service in the Army had on his mental health and the steps he took build on his mental fitness.  Colleagues can reach out to either Dominic, Jason or the Wellbeing Team if they would like to share their own story, or to seek confidential support. 

They were joined by Dr Zoe Darwin, Reader in Health Research at Huddersfield University. Zoe outlined the challenges men can face in transition to fatherhood, what that looks like, the barriers to seeking and accepting support and the services available to parents. 

An emotive and thought-provoking drama performance followed from the men at Community Links Engagement and Recovery Service (CLEAR).  Men’s Talk, created and performed by men with lived experience of mental health issues, used applied theatre and film to enable men to gain confidence, develop new skills, and create original material to reduce stigma and raise awareness. The performance, which was funded by CHFT's Charity, received an enormous round of applause.  

BLOSM Lead, Alistair Christie, said of the whole event: “I found the whole session both interesting and insightful. I was particularly inspired by all the presenters who shared their own personal stories and experiences.

“It gave me a fresh perspective on how men manage their mental health and the perceived stigma that is often associated with this.

Director of Operations, Stephen Shepley, added: “The event was a really powerful reminder of the stigma attached to talking about mental health what we can all do to highlight the benefits of talking and looking out for each other.  Hearing from people with lived experience brought to life some of the barriers men face when seeking support.” 

Here's what some of our colleagues had to say about the Men’s Talk theatrical performance:

• “A really powerful portrayal of mental health and how it can often be perceived by the public. Fantastic, really powerful.  We never know what is going on under the surface.”
• “A hard-hitting performance.  The execution was remarkable.  Thank the Trust needs to actively encourage service leads to attend sessions such as this.”
• “As a female, sometimes we don’t fully understand what men are going through.  Allow men to talk.”

If you missed the event, please email Wellbeing@cht.nhs.uk to receive the recording.