Take Action Man!
MIKE PATTENDEN
There’s something primal about walking through a forest or being sat around a roaring fire in the darkness, which may go some way to explaining why they provide a boost to your mood if you’re struggling.
Mental health issues can affect all sexes but, while it’s unwise to generalise about these things, it’s fair to say that men are not great at discussing their feelings. This may help us to understand why they are three times more likely to take their own life than women. They are also less likely to seek help, and yet one in eight will have mental health difficulties at some point in their lives.
Fortunately, there is an expanding range of options available for those experiencing problems. Earlier this month the Men’s Wellbeing Festival in the Stade showcased: the Men’s Mental Health Project, an initiative from the charity MIND; Hastings Men’s Network; Creativity on Sea; and Head On Board, a skateboarding-focused project.
The event also saw a preview of a film made to highlight the work of another important local initiative, Take Action Man, which tackles the problem of mental wellbeing by encouraging men to gather together outdoors and open up with each other.
Take Action Man grew out of Project Rewild – a local educational charity designed to reconnect people with nature. Its director Luke Funnell, 41, had been through his own struggles. “I’ve had some real deep lows like many men my age and what helped me was working with nature and building up my relationship to the natural world,” he says, “it gave me grounding I’d never experienced before so I decided to try and extend my experience.”
Funnell applied for funding through MIND and launched Take Action Man in December 2021 using the once popular male military doll to get the idea across. “I know from experience it can be quite hard to engage men, especially when you’re asking them to talk about their feelings,” he explains. “I was trying to sell it without looking hippyish and woodfolky and came up with the idea of using Action Man to add a sense of fun.
“You might have a serious idea, but you don’t necessarily want to come across like that. It also had a connection with ‘men of a certain age’, a bit of nostalgia, a reminder maybe of a more innocent time growing up.”
It worked. Over one hundred local men across a wide range of ages and ethnicities have signed up so far for outdoor sessions like wild swimming, sea fishing, bushcraft and hill walks. “Those are great for attracting people but what’s proved most effective is the once-a-month fire circle we hold in the woods,” says Funnell, “There’s something about sitting around a campfire that encourages people to share or just listen.
“Guys are really opening up and talking about personal stuff like relationships, sexuality, work pressures and health. Opening up in ways they can’t with their partners or close friends. It’s been incredibly powerful to witness that and be a part of it.”
Take Action Man’s film is currently being edited and will be available online or to show at local events, but funding for the group is about to run out. Funnell is looking for more and it’s vital he is successful given the impact Take Action Man is having.
Take Action Man’s upcoming events: Night fishing, April 28, sea swim workshop, April 30, Woodland Day, May 7 and fire circle at Helenswood, May 15. For more info: projectrewild.co.uk/takeactionman
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