There's no strength in silence
Men’s Health Active (MHA) is a new initiative which has been designed to encourage male students (and those who identify as male) to use sport and physical activity to help them maintain good levels of mental health.
MHA Student Ambassadors 2022-23
There are two student Men's Health Active ambassadors, who will be overseeing the programme and supporting students to get involved. This year the two ambassadors are Joe and Matt:
Joe Gomersall
Course: Economics
Year of Study: Second Year
Favourite sport / activity: Football/Futsal and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).
Most looking forward to this year: BJJ tournaments and the varsity series. With Men’s Health Active I am very excited to get involved with the talk shops and work alongside clubs to raise lots of money for charity events such as Movember.
Matt Bartlam
Course: Management
Year of Study: Second Year
Favourite sport: My main sport is Football, but I play a bit of cricket as well. I also enjoy going to the gym in my spare time.
Most looking forward to this year: Meeting the other ambassadors and working hard with the rest of the team to have a positive impact on sport at the University.
Talk Shops
We will be running a series of online talk shops, with support from male staff from the University's Counselling Service. The sessions which will be an hour in length, will be an opportunity for you to talk about subjects that are important to you in a supportive, safe and confidential environment. You will need to register your interest by emailing the Inclusive Sport Officer, who will then invite you to the talk shop.
The talk shops, which will be running on a montly basis will be taking place from 3.30 - 4.30pm, on the following dates in the Wellbeing Hub on C Floor in the Portland Building (next to the Student Advice Centre).
- 2nd March
- 30th March
- 15h May (11.30am - 12.30)
- 15th June
"The talk shops are a great space to be seen and heard, and to be able to
connect with others in a non-judgemental, friendly space."
Sports Sessions
Our Men's Health Active ambassadors will be running a series of sports tasters throughout the academic year. These tasters will be fun and social - the perfect opportunity to be active and meet other like minded people. Details of these sessions will be posted below and promoted through our @uoninclusivesport social media channels, once confirmed.
Men's Health Active Champions
If you are passionate about mental health and wellbeing, and would like to support the development of the Men's Health Active programme, then why not become an MHA Champion?
All we ask is that you share the programme message, that "there's no strength in silence", attend MHA sports tasters, talk shops and other relevant events.
Benefits for those who would like to get involved include:
- Training
- Kit
- Socials
- Skills development
If you are interested in getting involved in MHA, then please contact the Inclusive Sport Officer to find out more.
Men's Mental Health in Sport Events
Men's Health Active supports International Men's Day and other events linked to men's mental health.
In March 2022 in partnership with the Men's Hockey Club, we ran a Men's Mental Health in Sport event. The event saw two alumni and one current student, openly talking about their experiences of mental ill health.The event was a huge success and truly demonstrated that "there's no strength in silence".
If you would like to find out more about these planned events or would like to run one yourself, please email the Inclusive Sport Officer directly.
Useful links and resources