£18,000 funding for community groups to help Salford men’s mental health announced on World Mental Health Day

Salford’s Suicide Prevention Partnership, which includes Salford City Council, is providing £18,000 grant funding for the Women's Mental Health Fund and the closing date to apply is 24 October at 12pm.

Details can be found at: https://www.salfordcvs.co.uk/womens-mental-health-fund

Salford Men’s Mental Health Commission was set up in September 2023 with Healthwatch Salford because evidence has shown many men don’t seek help, and may be struggling to cope as a result.

The commission was made up of men from local communities in Salford as well as Mandem Meetup, Talk About It Mate and Jamie Horrocks Trust and was facilitated by Healthwatch Salford and funded by Salford City Council, Salford Integrated Care Partnership with support from Salford CVS.

The aim was to find out how to improve understanding and support available and make a real difference to men’s lives in Salford.

Councillor Mishal Saeed, Executive Support Social Care and Mental Health, said: "The Men’s Mental Health Commission has helped us understand the mental health needs of men in our city. We have heard from local men and their loved ones from various backgrounds about the pressures they face and how they could be helped to have better mental wellbeing.
 
“The statistics around men’s mental health are deeply concerning and highlight the importance of understanding and tackling the mental health challenges men face. The insights gathered through this initiative underscore a clear and urgent call to action.

“We also know that unfortunately, the rate of suicides among men is higher, however, the rate of attempted suicides is higher among women. As the mental health lead, I am proud to announce new grants for women’s groups, through partnership between Salford City Council and Salford CVs. These will help offer more targeted and local support to groups focussed on improving women’s mental health and wellbeing. The key message we want to deliver is that no matter what someone is going through mentally, there is help and support available. 
 
“We hope by providing funding to these local projects, we will be able to make a real positive difference to men and women’s mental health in Salford and help prevent mental health issues and suicides.”

Sam Cook, Chief Officer at Healthwatch Salford said “We were delighted to facilitate the Salford Men’s Mental Health Commission which is such an important piece of work. We aim to use the very practical ways it suggested to support men in Salford to be mentally well. Poor mental health can have such a huge impact on people’s lives and we hope these projects will be an important step forward in achieving real improvement.”

In the UK, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, with men between the ages of 40 and 49 having the highest suicide rates.

Through this project, the commission has learned about the stressors affecting Salford men and how they cope. 

Physical activities, particularly exercise and spending time outdoors are effective coping strategies. 

The importance of readily available information was highlighted, helping men to make decisions about the support they can find.

Community groups, which play a crucial role in providing support, said there are challenges in gaining funding. 

The partners of these men also said they needed more support for themselves. 

The projects which have received funding are as follows:

• First Kick CIC T/A First Kick Foundation - Salford wellbeing transitions programme. A free weekly care leaver physical activity, wellbeing programme, providing vulnerable adults with support to thrive in the community.
• Emmaus - Cultivating Wellbeing: A Garden Space for Men’s Mental Health. A calming garden space for men to connect, grow food, and support wellbeing through nature, peer support, and shared activities.
• Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation - Lions Walking Rugby in the Park Project. As part of the Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation community consultation that took place across 2024 and 2025, a significant demographic of men approximately 150 aged between 50 to 75 years old said they would like to take part in a walking rugby programme in Swinton during spring and summer.
• Talk About It Mate - Out and About. This project brings men together beyond weekly groups to boost mental health through meetups, events, and shared connection.
• Broughton Boxing Academy - Buddy Builders. Supportive gym-based sessions to boost men’s mental health with guided discussion, confidence-building, and links to wider support. 
  We Are Survivors - Nature and Nurture: Survivors Tips. Gardening advice and support for male survivors at RHS Bridgewater garden with the aim to develop a book about the impact of the sessions in their healing. The group is for survivors of sexual abuse, rape, and sexual exploitation.
• Jak's World Charity - Empowering young men through football. The project will include gym drop-ins, suicide prevention training, and mindfulness to improve mental wellbeing. 

Men who are interested in joining one of the groups can email: honor.johnstone@salfordcvs.co.uk