Blog – Father Lessons

19th January 202519th January 2025

Speak Up, Man: how talking circles are supporting a healthier masculinity

Across the UK, men are gathering in small groups to share how they really feel. It’s personal, non- judgmental – and potentially life-changing.

I am kneeling quite awkwardly on a cushion in a yoga studio in London’s Shoreditch on an unseasonably chilly Wednesday and wondering when exactly will be the optimum time to rearrange my legs. I have an ice-cold mango and passion fruit kombucha beside me and an agonising case of pins and needles. The solution to pins and needles, I learned a few years ago, is to directly confront the agony: pull your legs out from underneath you, bend your toes up as high as they can reach, and yes, it will hurt far more initially, but then the pain subsides. I’d like to do this very much, but sitting opposite me is a man – sitting all around me are men – and it is his turn to talk. He has eight minutes to tell us – all men, all strangers – what has been bothering him lately, or this week, or today, or for his entire lifetime, and right now he is on a roll.

19th November 202419th November 2024

International Men’s Day 2024

On November 19, International Men’s Day celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. It highlights positive role models and raise awareness of men’s well-being. The theme for 2024 is “Positive Male Role Models”.

International Men’s Day encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must become the change we seek.” It is only when we all, both men and women, lead by example that we will create a fair and safe society that allows everyone the opportunity to prosper.

5th September 20245th September 2024

8 Ways to Support Men’s Mental Health

Men’s mental health is a pressing concern in today’s society, with studies showing that men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues than women. Many factors contribute to this, including traditional notions of masculinity that discourage emotional vulnerability, societal stigma surrounding mental health, and a lack of resources tailored specifically to men’s needs. As a result, men often struggle in silence, leading to higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even suicide.

However, there are several practical and impactful ways to support men’s mental health and create a culture that prioritizes emotional well-being. Here are eight strategies to help improve men’s mental health and raise awareness.

18th July 20235th September 2024

The Male Friendship Recession

Although it definitely resonates with me, I’d never heard of the term ‘male friendship recession‘ until recently. Now I’m seeing it everywhere. And it turns out that it’s been around for at least a couple of years.

I had assumed that my own relative lack of close friends was due to having moved country twice in the last decade. And as I’ve got older, making new friends has just become less easy. Or I’ve put less effort into it. Whatever – the fact is that my circle of male friends that I hang out with has got smaller and smaller over time. But I’m far from alone in this.

13th July 2023

Dele Alli’s Mental Health Struggles

In the mid-2010s English footballer Dele Alli was tipped to be one of the biggest stars of his generation. He was a key player both for his Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur, and in over 30 international caps for England, and he was a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year. Off the field he exemplified the glamorous, high-profile lifestyle of the rich young athlete.

But his career over the last few years has been anything but stellar, and pundits could only speculate on how things had gone so badly wrong. The rot seemed to begin in 2019 when he fell out with his club manager, and he spent an unsuccessful spell at a club in Turkey before returning to the Premier League with Everton.

Now, in an revealing interview with ex-footballer Gary Neville, the 27-year-old Alli has a spoken publicly for the first time about his history of sexual abuse, adoption, drug addiction and, more recently, recovery.