Over 5,000 men took their own lives last year

Humen, a UK charity focussed on reducing the number of male suicides, is set to launch its next Rise Against Suicide campaign on 4 December.

The campaign is calling on pubs across Britain and Ireland to get involved and become a hub for conversation.

Over 5,000 men in the UK and Ireland took their own lives in the last year, accounting for 74% of all suicides.

However, men are half as likely to seek out the help and support they need for their mental health, as 14 men take their own lives every day.

The 2022 fundraising challenge is a sunrise pub pilgrimage, aimed at bringing friends, families and communities together to reflect and honour those lost.

It follows on from a successful 2021 campaign in which over 2,000 people took part in a walk for male mental health.

Humen’s supporters from around the country will embark on a 5,151m walk, starting and ending at participating pubs.

The 5,151 metres represent each man who lost their life to suicide in the last year. At the pubs, participants will be encouraged to donate the cost of a typical round and support HUMEN’s work via its Mental Health Pub Menu, created in collaboration with participating pubs.

Pubs are the cornerstone of many communities, so Humen believes they are the perfect place to encourage dialogue, and identify mental health concerns – embracing pubs with open arms and create an amazing opportunity to partner with forward-thinking businesses and encourage people to talk, listen and connect. There are links between alcohol abuse and poor mental health, but Humen knows that you don’t have to be teetotal to have good mental health, and that working with pubs is an opportunity to champion healthy relationships with alcohol.

Supporters of the charity include Andrew Scott, Bill Nighy, Danny Cipriani, Emma Rigby, David Gandy, Tom Odell, Ugo Monye to name a few, and this year it hopes to expand this list even more.

Since 2018, Humen have held nearly 4,000 successful Space Sessions, to open the floor for men to open up and express how they are feeling.

Founder and Actor, River Hawkins said: “Men need friendly spaces to talk, listen and connect. As pubs are the cornerstone of communities, they can play an important role in addressing suicide and mental health.

“Talking openly to friends, family & professionals are essential steps to overcome the hidden issues & barriers in our quest to lower the number of suicides and in turn, lower the number of metres we walk next year.

“Pubs can help encourage this dialogue – and should no longer be seen as destinations to drown our sorrows. The right to talk should never be a privilege, and we’re proud to be partnering with forward-thinking businesses to tackle mental health.”

For further details on how Pubs can take part, please contact HUMEN’s Director of Fundraising, Andy Simons, who will share an overview of the many ways they can be part of this campaign. You can reach him on andy@wearehumen.org