Real Talk: An evening in support of men’s mental health and wellbeing charity, Movember

I was a little apprehensive going into the Real Talk event because I’ve never spoken publicly about men’s mental health before, but I came away from it realising just how important it is to simply talk. As men we don’t talk enough about our mental health, so it was difficult at times opening up throughout the night. There were some incredibly difficult stories to listen to, but also some inspirational ones too. The fact that the room was so busy tells you just how important this topic is to so many people. We just need to keep going now, keep talking and keep helping each other talk and ultimately, raise awareness that it’s okay not to be okay.”

I’d like to thank Scott, Jason, Grand and Aaron for their time and honesty, talking about their experiences that night. It was an absolutely superb event and one I’d love to see repeated again. As I looked across the room, I could see everyone was fully engaged. I think I speak for us all when I say that if just one person who attended the event took something away from it, felt reassured and more able to talk or to ask for help, then it will have been a huge success. At Partners& we take the health and wellbeing of our colleagues very seriously, we have a full programme of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing events running all the time, which is why organising this event felt like the right thing to do. I’d also like to thank York City Football Club for co-hosting the event, for allowing us to use their facilities and for giving guests a guided tour of their superb new stadium.