Press Release: Men and Women to celebrate International Men’s Day across UK
News Release: Immediate (IMD Press Release 2014)
16 November 2014
Men and Women to celebrate International Men’s Day across UK
International Men’s Day will be taking on place on Wednesday 19th November 2014.
The day will be marked across the UK with a mix of political events, student events, community events, media activity and men’s groups. These events can be found in the Notes to Editors and at www.ukmensday.org.uk
Some of the events taking place this year include:
Lord Boateng (Paul) launching the first annual Masculinity Audit at the House of Commons. The audit has been commissioned by the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide. CALM has been working together on the project with a number of different organisations, including the charity the Men’s Health Forum, as part of its 2014 Year of the Male project.
Belfast City Council hosting an International Men’s Day seminar at Belfast Castle on Wednesday 19th November, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that affect men and boys and to celebrate their contribution to society.
The men’s theatre group, Deep Diving For Men, staging “pop up” in streets around performances Waterloo Station throughout the day.
The online magazine insideMAN (www.inside-man.co.uk) is launching a new series of articles called #100Voices4Men featuring 100 articles written by, for and about men and boys. Authors include Guardian columnist Ally Fogg; former Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Duncan Fisher and writer and campaigner Glen Poole who helps to co-ordinate International Men’s Day in the UK.
York St John Students’ Union, Feminist Society, will be out in force around the university campus to celebrate the achievements of men from around the world.
The theme of this year’s event is “Working Together For Men and Boys”
This year’s theme is designed to encourage greater co-operation in addressing in addressing the issues that affect men and boys all over the world such as men’s shorter life expectancy, the high male suicide rate, our collective tolerance of violence against men, the struggles that boys can face in getting an education and the unique challenges of father-child relationships.
On International Men’s Day on Wednesday, 19 November 2014, people all over the wolrd are invited to host events and initiatives that involve:
- Like-minded people finding ways to work together for Men and Boys
- People from diverse perspectives finding ways to work together for Men and Boys
- People in different countries finding ways to work together for Men and Boys
- And Men and Women finding ways to work together for Men and Boys
In particular, participants are invited to find ways to work together that reflect the Six Pillars of International Men’s Day which means:
ONE: Working together to promote positive male role models
TWO: Working together to celebrate Men’s positive contributions
THREE: Working together to focus on Men’s health and well-being
FOUR: Working together to highlight discrimination against males
FIVE: Working together to improve gender relations and improve gender equality
SIX: Working together to create a safer, better world.
Founded in its current format in 1999 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D, the event is observed in over 70 nations each year.
ENDS
For further information contact:
Glen Poole on glen@glenpoole.com and 07981 334222
Mark Brooks on contact@ukmensday.org.uk and 07834 452357
FURTHER DETAILS OF EVENTS
POLITICAL EVENTS
Lord Boateng will launch the 2014 Masculinity Audit commissioned the Campaign Against Living Miserably – CALM – a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide. Lord Boateng will be joined at a Breakfast Seminar at the House of Commons by speakers from CALM and the charity the Men’s Health Forum.
Website: https://www.thecalmzone.net
Contact info@thecalmzone.net 0203 697 9331
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fatherhood chaired by David Lammy MP and administered by the charity Working With Men will holding a meeting at the House of Commons to mark International Men’s Day. Speakers including representatives from the Royal College of Midwives, the Design Council, the Fatherhood Institute and Croydon Council.
Website: http://www.workingwithmen.org/
Contact Ashleigh Ryan A.Ryan@workingwithmen.org 0207 394 9333
Belfast City Council is holding an International Men’s Day seminar at Belfast Castle on Wednesday 19th November, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that affect men and boys and to celebrate their contribution to society.
Contact Lucy Magee mageel@belfast.gov.uk 028 90 320202 ext 3776
Parliagender (Parliament’s workplace equality network) is holding an International Men’s Day event for parliamentary staff at the House of Commons as part of Parliament Week. Speakers will talk on subjects such as Movember, Men’s Heath and Flexible Working.
Website: https://www.parliamentweek.org/event/international-mens-day/
CAMPAIGNS
The charity the campaign Fatherhood Institute is launching a #bringingfathersin campaign to celebrate dads’ role in their children’s learning and help frontline professionals to involved more fathers in their children’s lives.
Web: http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/
Contact Jeremy Davies J.Davies@fatherhoodinstitute.org
The campaign group Men Do Complain is staging an International Men’s Day demonstration on Wednesday 19th November at Savoy Place in London WC2R 0BL where it will call on the NSPCC to take action to protect boys in the UK from medically unnecessary circumcision.
Web: http://www.mendocomplain.com/
Contact Richard Duncker richard@mendocomplain.com
RSCPP, a network of over 2,500 registered therapists, are using International Men’s Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues and some of the help available to men.
Web: http://www.rscpp.co.uk/content/features/international-mens-day-mental-health.html
Contact: info@rscpp.co.uk
MEDIA EVENTS
Online magazine insideMAN (www.inside-man.co.uk) is launching a new series of articles called #100Voices4Men featuring 100 articles written by, for and about men and boys. Authors include Guardian columnist Ally Fogg; former Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Duncan Fisher and writer and campaigner Glen Poole who helps to co-ordinate International Men’s Day in the UK.
Web: http://www.inside-man.co.uk/tag/100Voices4men/
Contact insideMANeditor@gmail.com or call 07981 334222
The charity the Conscious Ageing Trust is hosting a google hangout about male suicide featuring Dr Max MacKay-James of the Men Beyond 50 project and Josh Rivedal, author of the book The Gospel According to Josh, which touches on the issue of male suicide.
Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDm7Rj8iihw
Contact Lesley O’Brien at press@diealog.co.uk or call 0798517021.
Radio presenter Matt Webb, will be dedicating his afternoon radio show on Cambridge 105 to discussing International Men’s Day.
Web: http://cambridge105.fm/shows/matt-webb/
MEN’S GROUPS
Deep Diving For Men, a men’s theatre workshop group, will be performing “pop up” performances around the Waterloo Station area.
Web: http://www.deepdivingmen.com/
Contact Duncan Alldridge duncan@deepdivingmen.com
The MENSPEAK Men’s Group in London, run by Kenny D’Cruz, will be holding a special evening meeting to celebrate International Men’s Day.
Web: http://www.kennydcruz.com/
Contact Kenny D’Cruz kenny@kennydcruz.com
UNIVERSITY EVENTS
York St John Students’ Union, Feminist Society, will be out in force around the university campus to celebrate the achievements of men from around the world.
Web: http://www.ysjsu.com/groups/feminist-society–4/events/international-men-s-day
Contact: eleanor.brewer@yorksj.ac.uk
The Institute of Heath and Society at Newcastle University is hosting an International Men’s Day coffee morning.
Web: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ihs/about/athenaswan/news.htm
Newcastle University Student Union are holding a day of live music, poetry and awareness reasing about men’s mental health issues.
Web: http://www.nusu.co.uk/news/article/6516/International-Mens-Day-Mind-Your-Moustache/
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Cooltan Arts, the award winning “arts in mental health” charity in Southwark, South London is running a day of activities for men to mark International Men’s Day
Web: http://www.cooltanarts.org.uk/2014/10/international-mens-day-2014/
Contact Olivia for more information: olivia@cooltanarts.org.uk or 020 7701 2696
Lancaster YMCA is hosting free boxercise classes and an indoor iron man challenge for teenage boys and young men age 12 to 19.
Contact: 01524 581171
The Men @ Eccy Meccy project in Bradford is hosting an open day the day before International Men’s Day to showcase the work of its older men’s group.
Web: http://eccymeccy.org/groups/mens-group/
The British Deaf Association (NI) is hosting a “working together for men and boys” event in Belfast.
Contact: Colette McMahon eco.ni@bda.org.uk
UR Potential community group is holding an event to celebrate International Men’s Day in Blackpool.
Web: http://urpotential.co.uk/cms/international-mens-day/
ENDS