Limerick Sports Partnership is inviting applications for free places on a 'Connecting with Young Men' workshop that they are hosting on Wednesday 24th February 2016, from 9.30am - 5.00pm, in the Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick.  The aim of this workshop is to assist a broad range of practitioners to effectively connect with young men on mental health and wellbeing issues.  It focuses on the engagement process (i.e. WHY and HOW to build relationships with young men), rather than offering a new mental health programme (i.e. what to offer them).  To book a place / get further details, contact Mairéad Fitzgerald, Sports Development Officer, Limerick Sports Partnership at Tel: 061 333600 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Belfast Men's Health Group invites you to their first event of 2016 - a chance for service providers and users to find out about both the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programme and Physical Activity Referral Pathways for men.  This session will take place on Thursday 25th February 2016, from 10.00am to Noon, in the Maureen Sheehan Centre, Albert Street, Belfast BT12 4HL.  Refreshments will be provided and there will be stands promoting the work of the AAA and Pathways programmes.  To book a place, contact Kevin Kennedy at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Every year, the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) convenes an all-island Planning Group for Men’s Health Week.  Organisations are invited to attend a number of meetings (some face-to-face and some via video-conference between Dublin and Belfast) to discuss the week and help to shape it.  The first meeting of this body will take place on Monday 18th January 2016, from 10.30am - 1.45pm (including lunch), in Dundalk, Co. Louth.  If you would be interested in contributing to the planning process, email Colin Fowler at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In 2014, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) performed an audit on the services and information produced by the Irish Cancer Society (ICS).  A number of recommendations were made.  One suggested action was to conduct joint research on accessing and understanding cancer information for people with limited health literacy and numeracy - in order to inform the future development of risk reduction programmes within ICS.  The aims of the health literacy and cancer research call are to understand: what facilitates men over 40 years of age, from lower socioeconomic groups, to engage with ICS; what are the barriers to these men engaging; how and where do they want to get cancer prevention information.  The call is now open, and the deadline for submission is Wednesday 13th January 2016 at 5.00pm.  For more information, see: www.cancer.ie/research/funding/health-literacy-and-cancer-research-grant#sthash.iqW6iQAO.dpbs

Despite the many serious health problems facing men, few countries have national strategies to deal with these issues.  Ireland, however, was the first country in the world to adopt such a strategy, and the National Men’s Health Policy 2008-2013 was a significant development in the relatively short history of ‘men’s health’.  In an article published in ‘Trends in Urology and Men’s Health’, Peter Baker reviews this development in Ireland, and looks at how effective these policies have proved to be in some other countries.  To read his article, visit: www.trendsinmenshealth.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/11/Mens-Health-Policy.pdf

The Dementia Elevator team has produced a free, online, Dementia Coping Skills for Families and Carers programme.  This can be accessed at: www.elevator-carers-coping-skills.com  While this programme is, primarily, focused upon the needs of families and carers of a person with dementia, the content will be very beneficial to anyone who wishes to learn more about supporting a person with dementia and their family.

The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has issued a consultation document setting out proposals to amend the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.  The proposed amendments are necessary to ensure that domestic law fully complies with Council Directive 2006/54/EC of 5th July 2006.  This EU Directive implements the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation.  A copy of the consultation document can be obtained online at: www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-document-proposed-amendments-sex-discrimination-ni-order-1976

Global Action on Men’s Health (GAMH), a major international public health initiative, is seeking new members.  Both organisations and individuals are very welcome.  The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland was one of GAMH’s founding members.  Globally, the gap between male and female life expectancy and healthy life expectancy has widened in the last 40 years.  The male:female life expectancy ‘gap’ is expected to get even bigger by 2030.  International public health organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), have not identified this as an issue or taken any significant steps to address the problem.  Men are almost entirely absent from global public health policy.  GAMH exists to address this inequality.  Members benefit from: shared intelligence about developments in men’s health in individual countries and globally, provided via a regular members’ eBulletin; an opportunity to share information and network with other GAMH members; a profile on the GAMH website; an opportunity to support and contribute to GAMH initiatives and projects; early alerts about GAMH events and registration at discounted rates.  More information about membership can be found at: www.gamh.org/membership  For any other queries, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.