The Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) is holding a free seminar on Friday 10th December 2010, in the Sligo Park Hotel, Sligo.  This is a cross-border event which will explore the issue of unemployment and mental health, and aims to highlight the potential need for services to respond to the social exclusion of those living with mental ill-health in the region.  For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Tel: 0044 2866 340717.
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{jcomments off}Lyndsay Foster, a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of New Brunswick, is currently conducting a study on how being diagnosed with a STI impacts upon sexuality and sexual well-being.  She is interested in comparing the sexual well-being of men and women who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI or STD) to those who have not had a STI.  Men and women who are over the age of majority in their country are encouraged to participate.  Participants in the study will be asked about their sexual experiences, sexual health, and sexual attitudes.  The survey takes approximately 10 to 25 minutes to complete, and participants will have an opportunity to win a VISA Gift Card worth 50 Canadian dollars.  For more details see:  https://survey.psyc.unb.ca/sexualhealth.aspx

A lot of people who are active in men’s projects find themselves working on the margins, often in isolation, mostly with few resources, and always without a supportive policy context for their efforts.  Although some men’s issues and needs are reflected in the Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plans, many more remain hidden, unrecognised or unaddressed.  The Men’s Policy Forum, within NICVA, was established in March 2008 to provide a meeting space for workers in this field, and an outlet for raising some of these concerns.

You don’t need to be a policy expert to attend this group.  The Forum is open to anyone (male or female) who has an interest in men’s issues and needs.  The next meeting of the Men's Policy Forum will take place on Wednesday 24th November 2010 in NICVA (61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast  BT15 2GB) from 10.30am - 1.00pm.

The main task of this meeting will be to generate male-focused recommendations for the next NICVA Policy Manifesto.  This document sets out the priorities (as we see them) for policy-makers, and is particularly relevant at the minute - as there will be an Assembly election next year.  See www.nicva.org/content/policy-manifesto{jcomments off} for more information.  Even if you can’t attend the Policy Forum meeting, please send your “Top Five Priorities for Action”.

For more information and/or to confirm your attendance, please contact Cathy Breslin from NICVA at Tel: 02890 877777  or  Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The ‘Mo’ (slang for moustache) and November come together each year for ‘Movember’.  Movember challenges men to change their appearance - and the face of men’s health - by growing a moustache.  The rules are simple: start 1st Movember clean-shaven, and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health - the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.  Originally an Australian idea, the campaign has now grown worldwide and, in 2009, global participation climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising €31 million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners.  The funds raised through Movember’s Ireland campaign have benefitted Action Prostate Cancer - a programme of the Irish Cancer Society.  For more information on Movember, visit:  http://ie.movember.com{jcomments off}

{jcomments off}An East Belfast Evening Men’s Health Clinic has been launched in the Arches Medical Centre by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.  Services available include BMI, blood pressure, blood screening and urinalysis testing, and an opportunity to discuss general health and wellbeing issues - including mental health.  All results are sent to the men’s own GP.  The clinic runs every other Wednesday from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.  This month’s clinic will be open on the 3rd and the 17th of November.  For further details, contact Alan Houston at email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Ian McKee at email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Linda Armitage at email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

{jcomments off}East Belfast Survivors of Suicide Support Group is hosting their annual ‘Celebration of Life’ event to mark World Suicide Bereavement Awareness Day.  The event will take place at 3.00pm in McQuiston Memorial Presbyterian Church, Castlereagh Road, Belfast on Sunday 21st November 2010.  This uplifting day of reflection will be marked by song, poetry, soloists, music and readings.  There will also be refreshments provided by the church immediately after the service.  The group welcomes the support of the wider community, as well as families bereaved through suicide at this event - as suicide prevention and awareness is a shared community responsibility and is everyone's business.  For further information, please contact: Chris Deconink at East Belfast Community Development Agency on Tel: 02890 451512, Bobby Cosgrove on Tel: 0759 5745718 or Trisha McQueen on Tel: 0772 4029766

{jcomments off}The Men’s Advisory Project has launched a research report on male victims of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland. The report, titled “Towards Gender Equality: Exploratory Evidence of the Attitudes Towards and the Needs of Male Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse in Northern Ireland with Recommendations for Change”, is one of the first pieces of research on this issue in Northern Ireland.  It presents evidence of public awareness of and attitudes towards male victims, as well is in-depth qualitative accounts of the experience and needs of these men.  It highlights a number of gaps in current service provision in Northern Ireland, and makes recommendations for improving services.  The report will be of interest to practitioners, policy makers and academics who work in this area and related fields.  The full report, as well as various summary documents, can be accessed (free of charge) from the MAP website at: www.mapni.co.uk

{jcomments off}The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) needs your help ...  We recently launched our new look website, and want to know if you are aware of any links that we should include in the Resources section.  This section is, currently, being developed, and will be expanded and added to over the coming months.  We would like to hear about any (especially local) research, reports, statistics, policies, support organisations, practical resources ...  that would be useful to those who work with men and boys.  Please send all suggestions to the Webmaster.   MHFI would like to thank Peter Robinson from Noostyle Web Design Belfast for all his help in creating this new site.