International Men’s Day (IMD) is an annual international event celebrated and marked on 19 November every year, including across all four nations of the UK – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It was first formally started in the UK in 2010. The event as a whole was inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago and has backing from UNESCO.

In the UK, the team behind it have adopted three key themes that allow as many organisations and people to take part. Please feel free to use any of them (or a combination) as a “guide/framework” for any events and activities that you may hold.

• Making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys
• Raising awareness and/or funds for charities supporting men and boys’ wellbeing
• Promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity

IMD is a global grassroots movement that invites every man, woman, girl and boy in the world to come together and celebrate men and boys in all their diversity. It gives everyone in the UK who wants to celebrate and mark International Men’s Day the opportunity to help work towards IMD UK’s shared themes and the six international key pillars which are applied equally to men and boys irrespective of their age, ability, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religious belief and relationship status.

In the UK

The Men and Boys Coalition is responsible for the International Men’s Day in the UK platform and are responsible for the brand, themes and website as designated and appointed by the worldwide International Men’s Day founder/organisers. This includes all four nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Whilst it is responsible and owns the brand in the UK, it is not responsible for the events, activities or (social) media that are held to support IMD in the UK.

Over 600 organisations took part in 2022 and 800 in 2023 making the past two years the most successful ever!

The UK’s national co-ordinators and ambassadors are the trustees of the Men and Boys Coalition*

• Mark Brooks OBE (Chair of the ManKind Initiative charity)
• Ally Fogg (Writer and Journalist, Chair of Men and Boys Coalition)
• Glen Poole (Director at the consultancy Helping Men)
• Sonia Shaljean (Founder and Managing Director of Lads Need Dads)
• Dr Caroline Flurey (Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology, UWE, Bristol)
• Dr Mohammad “Maz” Idriss (Senior Lecturer in Law at Manchester Metropolitan University)

Glen was the first national co-ordinator and instigator for International Men’s Day in the UK (now running the platform in Australia) who with, Mark Brooks, has driven the event forward to what it is now in the UK.

Duncan Craig OBE (CEO of Survivors Manchester), Prof. Ben Hine (University of West London), Dan Bell (Editor of insideMAN magazine) and Geoffrey Williams (Diversity & Inclusion Professional, Co-Founder Rocking Ur Teens) are also ambassadors.

Since 2010, each year has seen the event has gone from strength to strength (the first few years saw a dozen events every year, now it is over 800) and is marked and celebrated by variety of organisations in the private, public and charitable sectors in the UK. Many have used it to highlight the need to provide more support from men and boys as well as the support they already provide.

IMD in the UK takes a gender inclusive approach and therefore believes in ensuring that issues affecting women and girls are also resolved.

It is inclusive of all men, including GBT+ men.

It also recognises the intersection between gender and other factors such as race, place, class and sexuality which can compound the inequalities affecting men and boys.

It is a perfect way for organisations to display their Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI and EDI) credentials.

Please feel free to browse the website for more information and please get in touch at contact@ukmensday.org.uk if you have any questions.

Remember to like and add us to your social media here:

Twitter:  @UKMensDay and #internationalmensday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalMensDayUk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/international-mens-day-uk/

*All are also trustees of the Men and Boys Coalition

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