In December 2016, Minister of State for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD, launched 'Healthy Food for Life' - the new Healthy Eating Guidelines and Food Pyramid for the Republic of Ireland.  Healthy Food for Life is a practical resource for the general population (five years of age and over).  Its aim is to provide people with the nutrition advice needed to achieve a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight and encourage positive lifestyles.  To find out more, visit: www.healthyireland.ie/health-initiatives/heg

Do you know what it’s like to go through the cancer journey with a family member or close friend?  Would you like to use your experience of caring for someone suffering with cancer to help others who could benefit from your story?  The School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast want to create a website which can be used for sharing and accessing information about: what it is like to care for someone with cancer; tips and techniques on how to manage the caring experience; supporting your own health and wellbeing while caring for someone with cancer; links to support available to help to manage the caring role.  As part of this work, they would like the help of people (especially men) with experience (past or present) of looking after someone to advise on the proposed website content and/or to be filmed talking about what it is like to care for someone with cancer.  For more information, contact Theresa McShane at Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | Tel: 02890 975854 | Mob: 0044 775 3451059.

ManPowered is an innovative healthy lifestyle project - recently launched by Cancer Focus Northern Ireland - that aims to improve the health outcomes of local men who have low risk prostate cancer.  In Northern Ireland, over 1,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, making it the most common form of cancer in males.  ManPowered will begin in the greater Belfast region, and will later move out into the Western, Southern and South Eastern Trust areas.  This lifestyle project is being offered to men who are having their prostate monitored by their GP (i.e. ‘under active surveillance’).  The programme is tailored to men’s needs and interests, and includes a range of physical activities, cookery classes as part of a healthy eating regime, health checks, lifestyle goals, music and social activities to improve social connections and mental health.  The year-long project is being funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing and will run throughout 2017.  If you’d like to find out more, contact Maresa McGettigan on Tel: 02890 680743 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting our health and social care system.  Buckner and Yeandle (2015) estimated that the support provided by the 220,500 carers in Northern Ireland is £4.6 billion per year.  This is similar to the entire 2016/17 Stormont health budget.  ‘The Impact of Caring’ is a Research Update produced by ARK which draws upon data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, and focuses upon the impact of caring on carers.  It sets the data in the context of recent and forthcoming policy developments.  To download this document, visit: www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates/update109.pdf

Researchers at Ulster University are set to lead a pioneering international research programme which aims to improve the sexual health of men, and their partners, after a prostate cancer diagnosis.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and treatments can lead to a number of physical and emotional challenges.  In Northern Ireland, there are over 8,000 men living with and after prostate cancer, and there are over 330,000 men living with the disease UK-wide.  More than three quarters of those who have had treatment for prostate cancer report experiencing erectile dysfunction.  This three year study will see the creation of new flexible support packages designed to address individual needs and empower men and their partners to manage their sexual health challenges prior to and after treatment.  The resources include: a web-based sexual recovery programme for men and their partners; an engagement tool to ensure quality communication between health professionals and men and their partners; an online sexual health training programme for health professionals caring for men living with prostate cancer.  The research will be led by Professor Eilís McCaughan at Ulster University’s Institute of Nursing and Health Research alongside colleagues from the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, University of Surrey, University of Southampton, University of Michigan and University of Toronto.

Action Cancer is running a group support programme called the ‘Positive Living Programme’ on 25th and 26th February 2017 in the White Horse Hotel, Derry / Londonderry.  This is a free two day programme aimed at supporting individuals and family members who have been impacted by cancer.  The programme helps participants to reflect on their cancer journey and to learn new ways to cope.  If you are interested in attending, please call Mary Morrow on Tel: 0781 3044178.  In addition, Action Cancer provide 1:1 counselling and complementary therapies to any child/adult impacted by cancer.  In the North West area, they work in partnership with the Pink Ladies, Derry Well Women and LCDI to provide these services in five different venues in Derry / Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane.  To avail of these services, Tel: 02890 803344.

You are invited to a seminar which will be held on Wednesday 1st February 2017, from 12.30pm to 2.00pm, in Seminar Room 21D51, Dalriada House, Ulster University at Jordanstown.  Dr Heleen Touquet is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Leuven (KUL) in Belgium and a research associate at the Centre d'Etudes de Conflits et Crises Internationaux at the Universite de Louvain La Neuve.   Her current research focuses on gender, masculinities and sexual violence in conflict.  Dr Touquet will talk about male victims of sexual violence during the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  She will focus, specifically, on how the discursive space for talking about the topic has evolved over the last ten years and how (some) male victims have got recognition, reflecting on what this implies for theories of gender and nationalism and theoretical analyses of men as victims of conflict-related sexual violence. RSVP: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Male carers play a vitally important, but often unrecognised, role in our society.  To rectify this situation, the Southern Area Men's Health Group Annual Seminar for 2017 will focus upon 'Men Who Care ...  Who Cares For Men?'  This free event will explore: the valuable role that male carers play; what it’s like to be a male carer; support available to male carers; how these carers can have their voice heard; ways to help men to care for themselves.  The seminar will take place on Friday 31st March 2017, from 9.30am - 1.30pm, in Brownlow Community Hub, Craigavon, Co. Armagh.  To register for a place, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.