The Isle of Wight Council’s mental health champion received praise from across the chamber last week after submitting a motion on improving men’s health outcomes.
Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Lilley said his proposal was to highlight health issues faced by men during Movember, a related annual campaigning event involving the growing of moustaches.
It was passed unanimously by full council last Wednesday (19th November) and received a warm reception in the chamber, with some councillors sharing personal reflections on the topic.
Isle of Wight West Labour MP and Cowes North councillor Richard Quigley said:
“It’s very easy for us all every year…to say yes, we all support it. But I’d like to congratulate Cllr Lilley on actually doing something about it in his day-to-day life and making us all aware every year and at every opportunity.”
Chair Ian Dore said:
“This weekend I was at a veterans’ social…not all of us are left unfortunately – not all through war injuries and issues, but some people bring that home with them.
“The issues that you’ve noted in here are so prevalent and often soldiers…we don’t come forward. But as you get older it creeps up on you.
Article continues below this advertisement “So, these projects like Men Only and Men in Sheds are absolutely vital.”
Councillor Matthew Price, the Conservative member for Fairlee and Whippingham, said:
“I think this motion really hits the spot. There’s lots of people in all our lives that maybe we don’t realise are depressed or lonely.
“Loneliness must be a really big part of what leads people to either take their own life or live a very strenuous time when they’re suffering with their mental health.
“Thank you to Michael for bringing this forward.”
Councillor Andrew Garratt, Liberal Democrat representative for Parkhurst and Hunnyhill, said:
“It is very important to talk to people and understand the codes they may use.
“It’s 11 years since I walked into a doctor’s surgery on March 14, 2014, and broke down in tears. I got signed off with generalised anxiety and depression and spent six months signed off in two periods.
“I share that because I think it’s important to share your experience with others to allow people to recognise that you can talk about yourself.
“If anybody asks me a question and says, ‘how you doing?’ and I say ‘I’m coping’, that’s probably my code that I’m not in quite as good a place as I was.
“Normally I’m in a very good place – I’m very lucky to have a very loving family, incredibly loving husband who keeps me in check and keeps my mood up all of the time.”
Cllr Lilley, the Ryde Appley and Elmfield representative, previously told the press of the important work of local charities and support groups for men.
He referenced a Local Government Association report which says working in partnership is key to addressing men’s health, with councils ‘ideally placed’ to foster that.
His motion said:
“This council resolves to: with the goal of supporting national guidelines, welcome the government’s commitment to National Men’s Health Strategy and respond formally to a call for evidence, highlighting local needs and successful initiatives such as Men Only IOW, Men in Sheds projects and IW Prostate Cancer Society.
“Encourage Public Health, IW Health and Well-Being Board, and Adult and Social Care and Health Committee to develop a targeted action plan for men’s health, focusing on mental well-being and suicide prevention, early cancer detection, and healthy lifestyle promotion.
“Consider possible allocation in future budgets of resources to support existing and new community-based initiatives that have a proven track record of engaging men in health positive activities such as football-based fitness programmes and mental health training for public-facing staff in community settings such as barber shops and cafes.”
This will fail like everything else they do. Even they don’t expect this will change anything
I don’t talk to anyone about anything important. Why the hell do you think I would start to talk to a stranger about my inner most thoughts and feelings.
Through painful lessons I’ve learned to never explain, never complain and stiff upper lip. I rely on only one person – myself.
But what needs to be addressed are the painful lessons which have resulted in your conclusion to only rely on yourself. As a coping strategy it is fine until there is not enough resource within you to cope and at that point people commit suicide. We have to make it OK as men to talk about things and break down the expectation of a stiff upper lip but also remove the disincentives (the judgement and implication of weakness) or we will continue to have a lot of vulnerable men dead instead of helped.