On Wednesday 24th February 2016, Action Mental Health (AMH) will be hosting Northern Ireland’s first Mental Health Summit.  This event will focus on the future of mental health services, and will provide delegates with the opportunity to influence the Mental Health Strategy in Northern Ireland.  The DHSSPS has committed to considering the implementation of proposals developed at the Summit in advance of the forthcoming Programme for Government.  Attendees will be participants in workshop-style interactive group discussion.  AMH is looking for participants who will voice opinions, raise hard questions, and contribute to a working document which will be submitted to both the Minister for Health and his Department.  This Summit will take place in the Stormont Hotel, Belfast, and will run from 10.00am - 3.30pm.  To book a place, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AWARE is hosting an exclusive lunch and question-and-answer session with Republic of Ireland Manager and former Northern Ireland Team Captain, Martin O’Neill.  This will take place on Thursday 10th March 2016, in The Everglades Hotel, Derry / Londonderry, from 1.00pm - 4.00pm.  To find out more, visit: www.aware-ni.org/events/lunch-and-q-a-with-martin-o-neill.html

In this new book, which draws upon data collected over an 18 year period with more than 1000 boys, Dr Ken Harland and Prof Sam McCready (Community Youth Work, Ulster University) provide a revealing insight into the lives and development of young men.  Examining the particular pressures that impact upon young men such as masculinity, marginalisation, male youth sub-culture, and what are acceptable and unacceptable levels of violence, they present the voices and experiences of men from a range of community backgrounds and cultural traditions in Northern Ireland.  To find out more, see: http://uir.ulster.ac.uk/32567

The Community Development and Health Network recently launched their new ‘Community Health Champions’ animation and video.  You can view these at: www.dropbox.com/s/6feulexzbilxc1e/Community%20Health%20Champions%20-%20FINAL%203.mov?dl=0 (video) and www.dropbox.com/s/c8ucz5pat8qgtou/CDHN%20Animation%20-%20FINAL%201%20.mov?dl=0 (animation).

As part of World Cancer Day (Thursday 4th February 2016), Cancer Focus Northern Ireland is urging all local MPs to support an Early Day Motion (EDM) at Westminster calling for adolescent boys to be given the HPV vaccination to help reduce the incidence of cancer.  The charity is also calling on the Department of Health at Stormont to introduce the measure.  The primary sponsor of the EDM is South Antrim MP Danny Kinahan, and six other local MPs have already supported this motion.  Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection that can cause a range of cancers (cervical, vaginal, vulval, penile, anal, and oral) as well as genital warts.  There is already a vaccination programme for 12/13-year-old girls in place.  Cancer Focus says that extending the HPV vaccination to include adolescent boys is the optimal way to reduce preventable HPV related cancers - since, with every year that passes, 12,000 more boys in Northern Ireland are left unprotected against HPV-related diseases.  For more information on the campaign, visit: www.hpvaction.org

If you are a student of health promotion or public health, are working in these areas, or have an interest in the influence of gender on the health of men and boys, then here’s an event which is of relevance to you!  Steve Robertson (Professor of Men, Gender and Health / Co-Director of The Centre for Men's Health at Leeds Beckett University, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Men's Health, and qualified nurse and health visitor) is delivering a lecture in the Nursing Building Boardroom, Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road Campus, on Thursday 4th February 2015 at 2.15pm.  It will last for an hour.  Steve will be speaking on the topic of: ‘Men’s Health: Implications for Health Promotion and Public Health’.  For more information, contact Dr Paula Carroll in WIT at Tel: 051 834141.

State of Mind Ireland invites you to a free conference which will focus upon Sport, Recovery and Mental Fitness.  This event will take place on Thursday 18th February 2016, in the Titanic Centre Belfast, and is the first State of Mind Ireland conference in Northern Ireland.  State of Mind Ireland is a partnership between University College Cork (UCC), the Centre for Recovery and Social Inclusion and the Health Service Executive, and seeks to raise public awareness of mental health issues and positive coping strategies - utilising social media to show how to access help and to build community resilience via participation in sport, recreation and creative cultural activities.  Speakers will include Dr Sharon McDonnell and Barry McGale (University of Manchester), Fionnbar and Elma Walsh (Live Life Campaign, State of Mind UK and Ireland), Dr Phil Cooper and Danny Sculthorpe (Experts by Experience), and Dr Wesley O'Brien (All-Island All Active and UCC).  To register your interest to attend, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Wednesday 10th February 2016.  To find out more about State of Mind, visit:  www.stateofmindireland.com

The Department of Education in Northern Ireland has commissioned research into the post-primary school experiences of 16-21 year old people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGB&T).  The survey gives young LGB&T people the opportunity to share their post-primary school experiences.  The closing date for responses is Noon on Monday 25th January 2016, and the survey can be accessed at: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/DELGBTyoungpeople