Men’s mental health charity launches first event of its kind in Wales

Stephen Price

Helpu, the men’s mental health hub for Wales, is set to host a suicide prevention day at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 2 December.

Helpu launched in September 2022 to support men grappling with their mental wellbeing.

Founded by a group of volunteers who have personally encountered mental health challenges, Helpu provides a space for sharing stories, support and resources for those in need.

The free event next month has been created in partnership with NHS Wales’ National Suicide and Self Harm Prevention team and is open to all men who are members of groups, group leaders or men who are interested in establishing groups and are based in Wales. 

Ian Smith, one of Helpu’s founders, said: “Having struggled with issues related to suicide myself, I’m genuinely excited that this event is happening. It’s a long overdue opportunity for the many men’s groups in Wales to come together to lay the foundations of what we hope will be a growing network.”

Barriers

The Side by Side event aims to explore the needs of males who are at risk of suicide, identifying barriers to support and fostering tools for collaboration and skill-sharing.

There will also be an opportunity to work towards uniting disparate groups to help influence policy and service delivery in the future as well as providing information on practical steps including fund raising.

Whilst the event is free, tickets are required which can be accessed via TicketSource.

A future workshop is set to take place in North Wales in March 2024.

For more information and support visit Helpu’s resource here.