{jcomments off}The Southern Area Men’s Health Network invites you to a free event to improve your skills and knowledge in engaging with men in your community.  This will take place on Friday 22nd March 2013, from 9.00am - 1.30pm, in Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Lurgan, Co. Armagh.  There will be an opportunity to hear the thoughts of a range of local practitioners, as well as time to share your own experience with others.  Contact Alex McMeekin, from ‘Closing the Gap’ (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more detail.

{jcomments off}The Mojo Project is a programme to support men who are affected by the recession.  The target group is men who are: directly affected by unemployment which has increased their risk of distress; 25 years or older; living in the Tallaght area of Dublin; motivated to change; able to participate in a 12 week programme (two mornings per week, starting on the 6th of February 2013).  Participation on this course will not affect social welfare benefits.  To find out more, Tel: 01 464 9304 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

{jcomments off}Pathways to Health Level 3 is a training programme for community and voluntary sector leaders who are committed to tackling inequalities in health using a community development approach.  The benefit of this training is the chance to link grass roots practice with operational, strategic and policy working.  It will provide participants with the opportunity to tackle health inequality in a unified way, underpinned by the principles and practice of community development.  The training will be delivered as a series of master classes - one a fortnight for 12 weeks - held in the Tower Hotel, Derry / Londonderry.  

Visit www.cdhn.org/pages/index.asp?title=Pathways_to_Health_Level_3_Training for more information.

{jcomments off}A new report titled 'Attitudes to Social Care for Older People in Northern Ireland' is now available.  Written by Ann Marie Gray, Lizanne Dowds and Paula Devine from ARK, the report is based on data from the 2010 Life and Times Survey.  As well as exploring attitudes towards the funding and provision of social care, the report also looks at informal care and the impact this has on carers. 

A Portable Document Format version of the report is available for online downloading at:  www.ark.ac.uk/publications/occasional/SocialCare.pdf

{jcomments off}In Northern Ireland, more than 1,100 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year.  It’s the country’s second biggest cancer killer, but it shouldn’t be.  Bowel cancer is very treatable - especially if diagnosed at an early stage.  Bowel Cancer UK aims to save lives and improve the quality of life for all those affected. 

We want to make sure everyone knows about the disease, recognises the symptoms, and knows what to do next.  Could you help us raise awareness?  Bowel Cancer UK is keen to recruit volunteers from across Northern Ireland.  Once trained, volunteers will share their knowledge of bowel cancer with the public by staffing information stands at community events and giving awareness talks. 

For more information, visit: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer  or contact Bernadette McGarry, Health Promotion and Outreach Officer at Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Tel: 0779 85 236678.

{jcomments off}A major new public information campaign to tackle overweight and obesity was launched at the start of January 2013 by the Public Health Agency.  The campaign takes two main approaches.  Firstly, it helps people to identify whether they are inching towards bad health by being overweight or obese.  Secondly, it offers advice on small steps that can be taken to help reduce waist size. 

A website - www.choosetolivebetter.com - has also been developed to support the campaign by providing helpful tips.

{jcomments off}Since March 2011, the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) has been working on an all-Ireland ‘Young Men and Suicide Project’ (YMSP).  This cross-Border initiative was jointly funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention in the Republic of Ireland, and the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland. 

The aim of YMSP was to identify a range of possible means to promote positive mental health among young men on the island of Ireland, and to assess the efficacy of these approaches.  A full report on the project will be launched on Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in both Dublin and Belfast.  You are invited to attend either of these launches - which will take place from Noon until 1.30pm (including a light lunch). 

Please see www.mhfi.org/ymsplaunch.pdf for details of these events.  Copies of the report will be available online after the launch has taken place.

{jcomments off}It seems like only yesterday when we were all hyped-up for Men’s Health Week 2012, and now the next one is just around the corner ...  International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself. 

This coming year, it will run from Monday 10th until Sunday 16th June 2013.  It is celebrated in most European countries, as well as in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and a number of other places worldwide.  The 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 / activities; encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males. 

Why not put these dates into your diary, and start thinking about how your group could mark this week?  More details about the theme, and how to get involved, will follow in the New Year.