The below council motion is adapted from Cumberland Liberal Democrats.
Though it uses Men’s Health Awareness Month in November it can be moved at any time to call for stronger support services for men who need to access support.
These local data sets will allow your to localise the motion to your council:
- Healthy Life Expectancy by Local Authority
- Suicide Rates by Local Authority 2001 to 2024
Please copy and adapt the motion below:
Council notes that:
- November is Men’s Health Awareness Month (“Movember”), raising awareness of issues such as mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.
- In [AREA NAME], male life expectancy is XX years, compared to the national average of XX years. Healthy life expectancy is XX, falling from XX years in the past decade. This means men in [AREA NAME] are spending more years living with illness or poor health than a decade ago.
- The number of suicides in [AREA NAME] is growing. Between 2020 and 2023 it was XXX per 100,000 people, up from XX in 2001.
- Men are statistically less likely to seek help for health or mental health issues, particularly in deprived areas where access to services and community support can be limited.
- Community-led initiatives such as Men’s Sheds, Andy’s Mans Club, Every Life Matters, sports clubs, and veterans’ support groups play a crucial role in improving wellbeing and tackling loneliness but often operate on limited resources.
Council welcomes the initiatives already taking place locally to address men’s health issues and support men to access the help they need to maintain good mental and physical health. [PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES IN YOUR LOCAL AREA]
Council resolves to:
- Recognise November each year as “Men’s Health Month in [AREA NAME]”, working with local NHS partners, charities, and community groups to promote awareness and early intervention.
- Request a standalone report from the Director of Public Health on men’s health outcomes, suicide prevention efforts, and service access across [AREA NAME].
- Develop a Cumberland Men’s Health Action Plan focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, early cancer detection and awareness, reducing isolation and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
- Support and promote community initiatives such as Men’s Sheds, Andy’s Mans Club, Every Life Matters and sports-based wellbeing programmes through partnership and small grants.
- Write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care urging the creation of a National Men’s Health Strategy that recognises health challenges and prioritises prevention.