Nicole Cooke - a postgraduate student currently completing an MSc in Health Psychology in NUI Galway - is conducting research with parents on their intentions / decisions to introduce solid foods to their baby or to begin the process of weaning onto solid foods.  She is looking for both mothers and fathers to participate, but is finding it most difficult to engage with men.  The survey takes no longer than 20 minutes to complete, and eligible parents must be either a parent or guardian of a young child aged between two and four months old.  The survey can be completed at: https://tinyurl.com/infantfeedingsurvey

Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) in Northern Ireland is a collaboration between the Community Development and Health Network and the Health and Social Care Board - with strategic direction offered by a multi-agency Steering Group.  The programme aims to promote and support communities to work in partnership with local pharmacists to address health and social wellbeing needs using a community development approach by: increasing skills; encouraging community activity and self-help; expanding understanding of health issues; supporting local people to play a key role in promoting health.  Applications are now being invited for the Level 2 funding scheme.  For more details see: www.cdhn.org/level-2-application

The Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion is a ten day comprehensive capacity building training course for service providers (in the Republic of Ireland) who want to develop their confidence, skills and knowledge in the area of sexual health promotion, and to incorporate sexual health promotion into their work.  The programme will be of interest to service providers from the health, education, community and youth sectors who have the potential and capacity to undertake Sexual Health Promotion within their organisation.  For more details on this HSE programme, see: www.mhfi.org/HSESexualHealthTraining.pdf

Not everybody knows about Men’s Health Week (MHW), what it hopes to do, why it needs to happen, or how they can get involved.  That’s why there is a MHW 2018 ‘Toolbox for Action’.  This useful resource can be downloaded at: www.mhfi.org/mhw2018toolbox.pdf

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!  The posters are free, and are available in both A3 and A4 size hard copy, as well as in a range of electronic formats.  You can find details of how to get copies of these posters at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2018.html#Poster 

If you don’t have space to put up a Men’s Health Week poster in your workplace, college, community centre, church, shop, pharmacy, Men’s Shed ...  why not leave some of the new postcards lying around or, better still, give / send some of them to the men you know?  The front of the postcard is a smaller version of the poster image, and the back has a pre-written message and a space for an address.  These postcards are available in hard copy, and details of how to order them can be found at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2018.html#Postcard

There’s no denying that the state of men’s health on the island of Ireland is often poor.  However, there are things which can be done to change this situation and men, themselves, can play a key role in doing this.  A free, 32 page, Man Manual (based upon the ‘Haynes Manual’ model) is being distributed by the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland to mark Men’s Health Week 2018.   This poses ten simple and practical health challenges to men and, to meet every challenge, it offers three choices.  All copies of this manual were snapped-up within a few weeks last year - and there are only 20,000 available this year - so, if you would like some copies to distribute to the men you know / work with, get in touch soon!  The content of the 2018 edition has been updated.  You can see what this year’s version looks like / find out how to order copies at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2018.html#Challenges  The publication of this booklet has only been possible because of the generous support given by the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland, the Health Promotion and Improvement Department within the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland, and the author - Dr Ian Banks.

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 2018.  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 at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/promote-an-event.html  Other submission options are available at: www.mhfi.org/mhw/mhw-2018.html#TellOthers