A Salford community group hosted a ‘walk for hope’ during Mental Health Awareness Week to support men’s mental health.
Members of the peer support group Heads Up Gentleman walked from the Little Hulton district centre to the bridge on Cleggs Lane, which overlooks the M61 motorway.
Jeff Moritz, the group’s CEO and founder of Heads up Gentleman, said that four people had died in the area in the past two months.
Samaritans, a charity focused on preventing suicides by connecting trained volunteers with people who are struggling, put up two support flyers on the M61 bridge in response to the casualties.
Jeff said the NHS are too “overwhelmed” to help the number of people struggling with their mental health.
He explained that Heads up Gentleman are not a replacement for the public health system, but provide mental health support to “fill in the gaps.”
Jeff outlined that many of the group’s members are in “high-pressure roles.”
“It’s not so much they’re worried about their next meal, they are worried about their next mortgage payment,” he said.
Jeff added that many of the more than 1,000 men who had reached out to the group in its first 14 months were experiencing “trauma and depression.
“We have a pandemic now with mental health.
“We need more groups like Heads up Gentlemen. I would go as far as to say that 99% of men who come to my group would prefer to sit in a setting like ours than sit in a clinical setting.”
Jeff described the job as tough, saying: “You don’t know who’s going to walk through the door,” and that it’s hard trying to help everyone.
He said there was still a stigma around men seeking mental health support.
“Men do suffer in silence. They’re seen as weak to say I’m struggling’, especially the younger men. It’s not cool”.
Despite this, Jeff said it’s “seeing men get better, and helping their brothers get through it” that keeps him running the charity.
“Stephen, who comes to our group, never used to speak. I thought he was never going to fit in, but now you can’t shut him up.”
The group also celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week by hosting an event in Media City, launching their app ‘Mindful Miles’ in partnership with interactive walking game Beat the Street for a 100-mile walking challenge. The app encourages people to track their steps while walking in community groups and is suitable for all fitness levels.
Heads up, Gentlemen gained support and funding from Salford City Council, Salford CVS, Bupa, Tesco, Knight Knox and other grassroots community groups.
