Every year there are hundreds (possibly even thousands) of events and activities 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.  As in previous years, 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 2020.  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.

COVID-19 has meant that many traditional MHW face-to-face events (e.g. health checks, conferences, launches, games, seminars, competitions, workshops, lunches, training courses, performances, displays, health fairs ...) cannot take place this year.  However, many groups across Ireland are being creative and innovative about how they can engage with / support men.

Whatever it is you have planned, if you would like to have the details included on this website, please complete and submit a MHW Event Form at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/promote-an-event.html  Other submission options are available at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2020.html#TellOthers

Absolutely everyone can do something to support and celebrate Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2020.  The focus for this year (i.e. ‘Restoring the Balance’) 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.

There are many simple, free and easy ways to get involved / show support.  There is a common logo / image pack which can be used by everyone who wishes to raise awareness of MHW.  There is also a MHW 2020 poster and postcard.  These are important promotional tools - as one of the key aims is to let as many people as possible know about the week.  These are available to anyone who wishes to use them at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-image-pack.html

Promotion of MHW could take the form of:

• (a)  Putting a Men’s Health Week poster (or two or three) up in your workplace / local shop / waiting room / home ...  and/or printing-off and sending the MHW postcard to people you know.
• (b)  Promoting the week on your website - using a copy of the Men’s Health Week logo or badge or banner.
• (c)  Linking to the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland’s web page devoted to Men’s Health Week 2020 (www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2020.html) from your own website, Facebook page or other social networking site.
• (d)  Sending an email to everyone on your mailing list to tell them about Men’s Health Week, and asking them to forward the message to all their contacts.  Why not also insert the MHW logo into your outgoing emails during June?
• (e)  Becoming a fan of the Men’s Health Week in Ireland’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MensHealthWeek) and sending this link to all your online friends.
• (f)  Including information on Men’s Health Week 2020 in your mailouts / newsletters.
• (g)  Telling others about what is happening in your area during Men’s Health Week by posting details on the MHFI website.  Use the form at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/promote-an-event.html
• (h)  Making one of the Men’s Health Week 2020 graphics your computer desktop ‘wallpaper’ during June.
• (i)  Reminding your colleagues to follow all the latest news on Twitter (www.twitter.com/MensHealthIRL).
• (j)  Posting / Tweeting about the week using the pool of ready-made resources  and including #MensHealthWeek and #RestoringTheBalance in your message.
• (k)  Using the MHW Facebook Cover Photo or Twitter Header Image on your social media pages and feeds ...

Doing one or more of these simple (and free) things would contribute hugely to MHW 2020!

Men’s health issues and needs are numerous and complicated.  So much so, that we could probably assign a different one to highlight on each day of the year and still have an outstanding pool of ones to explore!  However, when preparing for Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2020, the all-island Planning Group felt that it would be useful to draw attention to a specific theme on each day during the week, as well as on the days leading up to it.  These are ...

• Friday 12th June:  It’s Almost Time - Men’s Health Week: Restoring the Balance
• Saturday 13th June:  Staying Connected During and After Loss - maintains our sense of balance
• Sunday 14th June:  Food - it’s easy to strike a balance
• Monday 15th June:  Mental Fitness - it’s always a balancing act
• Tuesday 16th June:  Heart Health - have you got the balance right?
• Wednesday 17th June:  Cancer Prevention - is about creating balance
• Thursday 18th June:  Quit Smoking - restore the body’s balance
• Friday 19th June:  Rethink what you Drink - get the balance right
• Saturday 20th June:  Physical Activity - restores your overall balance
• Sunday 21st June:  Fathers - help their children to become balanced adults

Social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) has become a powerful tool for organisations to spread their message.  During Men’s Health Week 2020, everyone is encouraged to ‘Post’ and ‘Tweet’ about it and, when possible, to use the hashtags: #MensHealthWeek and #RestoringTheBalance

For those people who would like to support MHW 2020 using their own social media channels - but who don't have the time, energy or knowledge to develop their own messages - there is a document which offers a range of Posts and Tweets that you can simply cut-and-paste from.  There are lots of message options presented for each day of MHW, and these relate to the theme for that day.  Everyone is invited to use them all, or simply pick and choose the ones that suit themselves / their organisation / their location.  You can download these suggestions at: www.mhfi.org/Tweets2020.pdf

Even loading a few things to websites / Facebook pages / Twitter feeds / Instagram / other social media platforms will make a huge difference to publicising the week.  This is, therefore, a really easy and free way to show support for MHW.

To keep everyone up-to-date with the latest news on Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2020 - as well as more general developments in the field of men’s work - check out Facebook (www.facebook.com/MensHealthWeek) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/MensHealthIRL).  However, as all social networkers know, pages such as these are no use unless they have a lot of Fans / Followers.  That’s where your help is needed! ...  Please visit the pages, click on the ‘LIKE’ button for Facebook and ‘FOLLOW’ button for Twitter, and send the link to all your friends.  If you’re really into it, please Tweet about MHW 2020 yourself, and include the hashtags #MensHealthWeek and #RestoringTheBalance in your messages.

As a follow-up to the ‘Men and COVID-19’ webinar with Prof Alan White - which was held on Wednesday 13th May 2020 - the Engage National Men’s Health Training Programme Partners would like to invite you to apply for a place on a follow-up event.  This will take place during Men’s Health Week (on Wednesday 17th June 2020 at 11.00am), and will: draw upon a men’s health policy framework to make the case for a more explicit focus on sex and gender differences to inform public health policy and practice responses to COVID-19; examine what population groups of men have been most affected by COVID-19, and what types of support are needed to enable these men to ‘restore the balance’ in their lives; explore how COVID-19 might, potentially, be a catalyst for positive change in men’s lives, and present opportunities for a reconfiguration of men’s roles.  Register for a place at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QSgpSlBuQtWqMe8opCdWKA

The Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact upon men.  While there is a broadly similar incidence and prevalence rate to women, men: are faster at developing serious illness; recover slower from the virus; have a higher death rate.  There is also a broad range of mental health and social impacts upon men and the wider community which are a cause for concern.  To shine some light on this situation, the Engage National Men’s Health Training Programme invited Alan White, Emeritus Professor of Men’s Health, to present his insights into why this might be so via a one hour online webinar.  This took place on Wednesday 13th May 2020.  Alan gave a presentation on the current evidence, and there was an opportunity for the audience to ask questions afterwards.  You can access a video recording of the webinar and a copy of Alan's slides at: www.mhfi.org/coronavirus.html

MensHealth.ie is a new online GP service just for men.  It is the first of its kind in Ireland focusing solely on men’s health matters.  The aim of the service is to eliminate that first and highest hurdle of getting men to the doctor, by bringing the doctor to them.  Founder, Dr Gavin Keane, came up with the idea after the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed how GPs were working: ‘No one was coming in.  The vast majority of our work was suddenly being done on the phone and then on video.  It struck me just how much of our routine work can be done safely and done well online.  That realisation, combined with my experience of men being reluctant to come into the clinic in person, led to the idea to start an online GP service for men.  The COVID pandemic has presented the opportunity to create this service and, hopefully, reach a lot more men that don’t, won’t, or can’t attend a GP’.  Visit https://menshealth.ie to find out more.

To celebrate Men’s Health Week 2020, ARC Cancer Support Centres will be offering a week of free online activities ranging from cookery demonstrations, to ‘Man Talk’, to strength training, to resilience building, to comedy!  Find out more at: https://a.storyblok.com/f/58810/x/15d316a5dd/june-2020.pdf