{jcomments off}To celebrate Men’s Health Week 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) invite you to ‘From Policy to Practice: Profiling the Impact of Ireland’s National Men’s Health Policy’.  This event will take place on Thursday 13th June 2013, in Dr Steevens' Hospital, Dublin 8, from 10.00am - 4.00pm.  The aim of this free event is to profile the key outputs in the area of men’s health in Ireland that have been delivered since the publication of the Men’s Health Policy and Five Year Action Plan in 2009, and to set priorities for key policy areas in men’s health in the future.  The programme will involve keynote addresses from two leading experts in men’s health (Noel Richardson and Kate Hunt), workshops on a range of men’s health topics, and poster presentations from a diverse spectrum of organisations on the island of Ireland who work in the field of men’s health and well-being.  For more detail on the programme and the application process, see: www.mhfi.org/dublin2013invitation.pdf   Please note that places at this event are extremely limited, and that there is a deadline for receipt of applications.

{jcomments off}We’re nearly there.  The clock is ticking ...  it won’t be long now until International Men's Health Week (MHW).  This year, it will run from Monday 10th until Sunday 16th June 2013.  The theme in Ireland will focus upon ‘Action Men’ and there is a call for everyone (policy makers, service providers, men themselves ...) to ‘turn words into actions’ i.e. stop just talking about men’s health and do something practical to help to improve it.

As always, the overarching aims of MHW are to: heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages; support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices and activities; encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.  Therefore, any events and activities to celebrate this occasion are very welcome.  To find out more about this week and how you can get involved, visit: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2013.html   Alternatively, download the MHW 2013 Briefing Paper at: www.mhfi.org/mhw2013briefing.pdf

{jcomments off}Even if you don’t do anything else to support Men’s Health Week (MHW) this year, you can at least put up a poster to let everyone know when it’s taking place!  To highlight MHW 2013, a new poster features Michael Glover from the Man Matters project in Northern Ireland.  The message on this poster is very simple: Turn Words into Actions!  The posters are free, and are available in A3 size hard copy as well as in a range of electronic formats (from the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland website).  You can find details of how to get copies of these posters at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2013.html

{jcomments off}Every year there are hundreds (possibly even thousands) of events throughout Ireland to celebrate Men’s Health Week (MHW).  Some of these are well publicised, but most are only known about by a few people!  This year, the Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) will have a section on its website to promote the details of any activities or events that are being held throughout Ireland during Men’s Health Week 2013.  This will help everyone to find out what is happening during the week, where it will take place, and how to join in.  It will also give some recognition and publicity to all those groups across Ireland that are doing something for and with men.  Your activity might be health checks, or a conference, or a launch, or a game, or a seminar, or a competition, or a workshop, or a lunch, or a course, or a drama, or a display, or a health fair ...  Whatever it is, if you would like to have the details included on this website, please complete and submit a MHW Event Form on the MHFI website at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/submit-an-event.html

{jcomments off}Absolutely everyone can do something to support and celebrate Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2013.  The focus for this year (i.e. ‘Action Men - Turning Words into Actions’) lends itself to a wide range of ways to mark this occasion.  However, you don’t have to stick rigidly to this particular topic.  Anything which encourages men and boys to lead healthier lifestyles, to be more aware of preventable health problems, and to seek early detection and treatment for health difficulties will be very welcome.  You might have time, energy and resources to plan something big.  However, even if you can’t, there are still simple and easy ways to get involved.  These include ...

• Putting a MHW poster (or two) up in your workplace / meeting space / community centre / local shop / bar / waiting room / home ...
• Promoting the week on your website - using a copy of the MHW logo or web banner.
• Linking to the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland’s website page devoted to Men’s Health Week 2013 (www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2013.html) from your own website, Facebook page or other social networking site.
• Sending an email to everyone in your contacts list to tell them about Men’s Health Week, and asking them to forward the message to all their contacts.
• Becoming a fan of the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MensHealthForumIreland) and sending this link to all your online friends.
• Inserting the MHW logo into your outgoing emails for the months of May and June.
• Including information on MHW in your mailouts / newsletters.
• Telling others about what is happening in your area during MHW by posting details on the MHFI website (use the form at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/submit-an-event.html).
• Making the MHW logo your computer desktop ‘wallpaper’ during May and June.
• Reminding your colleagues to follow all the latest MHW news on Twitter (www.twitter.com/MensHealthIRL).
• Encouraging the men you know to get involved in some of the activities taking place during MHW 2013 ...

For more ideas, download a copy of our paper on what you can do to mark MHW 2013 at: www.mhfi.org/mhw2013celebrateit.pdf

{jcomments off}This year, the Cancer Focus ManAlive Conference will take place on Wednesday 5th June 2013, from 9.30am - 4.00pm, in the Adair Suite, Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.  This conference will focus on the male journey through the cancer experience, and will update healthcare workers and individuals with an interest in men’s health on cancer issues affecting men.  To register your interest, or for further information, contact Alison Brown at Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Tel: 02890 663281.

{jcomments off}You are invited to attend men’s health events which are being run across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area.  These will take place in June to coincide with Men’s Health Week, are free, and will be strictly male only.  Each session will offer health advice and fun activities in a male friendly environment.  On every evening, there will be a talk by Conor McCafferty of Zest, followed by a hearty supper.   See www.mhfi.org/realhealthadvice.pdf for a list of dates, times and venues.  If you require any further information on the events in Coleraine, Ballymena or Ballymoney contact Amanda Pollock at Tel: 0774 0282650  /  Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   For the Antrim event, contact Wendy Kerr at Tel: 02894 478645.  For the Magherafelt event, contact Denise Doherty at Tel: 02879 634865.

{jcomments off}ARK is holding a seminar to launch the results of the 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey.  In ‘Autism Awareness and Attitudes: A general population baseline’, Karola Dillenburger, Julie-Ann Jordan and Lynne McKerr (School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast) will focus on knowledge and public attitudes to the social, employment, educational and housing issues facing people with autism, as well as highlighting personal experiences.  The seminar will take place on Tuesday 4th June 2013, in the Canada Room, Queen’s University Belfast, at 11.30am.  It will be followed by a light lunch.  This event is free of charge, but places need to be booked by Tuesday 28th May 2013 via Tel: 028 7167 5513 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   The Life and Times Survey records public attitudes in Northern Ireland to key social issues.  The 2012 survey focused on autism, community relations, minority ethnic groups, migrant workers, asylum seekers and other equality issues.  Full results of the 2012 survey will be available at www.ark.ac.uk/nilt on 4th June 2013.