Better Lives for Men, Better Lives for All

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MEN’S HEALTH PROGRAMME

Our health work continues to highlight how wellbeing requires a shift in focus from what can go wrong in men’s lives, to what can go right.

Our National Men’s Health Programme

Video VIEWS

A selection of webinars, interviews and videos, including: MDN inputs to the HSE Health and Wellbeing Engaging Men series;
interesting insights from some of our project collaborators; and our Men in the Middle Men's Health symposium in 2018

Engage — National Men's Health Training

Partnership delivering training and education

The Engage National Men’s Training Programme is a training and educational programme which was created via a partnership between South East Technological University, Men’s Development Network, the Men’s Health Forum Ireland, and the Health Service Executive’s Health Promotion Department.

The aim is to increase participants’ understanding of best practice in engaging men with health and social services. MDN co-ordinates and manages the training for this programme, developing module materials and resources, as well as Engage delivery methods. The Network, in partnership, co-facilitates the training of trainers process and mentors trainers in the field, which further builds capacity and reinforces programme learnings.

“Maybe I’ll Definitely Start Tomorrow”

Presenting 12 evidence-based ways on how as men we can be more proactive in caring for our own health & wellbeing.

Signposting Resources

10 things to improve men’s health and the 10 reasons to try.

12 Key Insights

Module from Engage – National Men’s Health Training Initiative highlighting what to bear in mind when engaging and sustaining men in different health & wellbeing programmes.

7 Key Questions for Wellbeing & Health

How MDN’s methodology can be used to engage & support men in improving self-care, health & wellbeing. The importance of a strengths-based approach in identifying incremental actions for positive change.

ENGAGE – National Men’s Health Training Programme

Discussing ENGAGE, designed to assist practitioners address the current deficit in gender-sensitive service provision. Focuses on the engagement process (i.e. why & how to build relationships, rather than what to offer men).

Staying Well in Challenging Times

How can men can mind our wellbeing and health through difficult periods? We look at 12 things we can do to support ourselves & others.

Providing inputs & insights

Recent research on workplace wellbeing was outlined at the Healthy Workplace Networking Seminar at the Department of Health Head Office in Dublin on Monday, 23 May 2022. Lorcan Brennan, MDN’s Training & Resource Development Manager, and Finian Murray, HSE Men’s Health Development Officer (pictured) were among those who attended the half-day gathering in the Department of Health, taking the opportunity to promote plans for Men’s Health Week (June 13-19).

Experienced Facilitation

A fully booked Valentine’s Day 2022 presentation was delivered to Facilitators of the HSE’s Quit Smoking for Men Programme, drawing on key learnings from the Engage National Men’s Health Programme and highlighting evidence-based insights.

MDN’s Lorcan Brennan and Finian Murray, Men’s Health Development Officer within the HSE’s Health Promotion and Improvement Department, co-facilitated this online workshop (hosted by Caitriona Reynolds, HSE). It focused on positively supporting and engaging men on their health and wellbeing, specifically around smoking.

select soundINGS

Choice chats from the past about Health & Wellbeing

Dr. Noel Richardson, co-author of the National Men’s Health Policy with Dr. Paula Carroll, shares the story of the development of the policy in Ireland and his hopes for the future that services will use it as a resource to inform work, men’s health initiatives for engaging with men. (2009)

 

House of Story founder in Raheen, Co Wexford, Fr. Jim Finn shares about his own past, his love of story and its power in supporting transformation, health and healing when facilitated with sensitivity and care in our lives. (2007)

A series of interviews reflecting on the positive impact of the Larkin’s Centre, Men’s Health & Wellbeing Programme, linked with Celtic Football Club, in Ballybough Dublin. The interviews were recorded at the health programmes evaluation launch in Dublin and give a real flavour of what has been achieved through its supportive, informative and creative approach to engaging men with their health. (2010)

Three men who participated in a Men’s Development Network Annual Summer School share about their experience of being involved and how such a gathering. The highlight how important it is for men to find supportive and safe spaces for men to meet, reflect on their lives and identify positive ways of caring for themselves and living flourishing lives. (2007)

Colin Fowler from the Men’s Health Forum Ireland (MHFI) talks about his own working and personal experience and highlights Men’s Health Week 2010, which focused on getting males on the island to become more physically active and Get Up, Get Out, Get Going. (2010)

Other ongoing involvements, undertakings

Men’s Development Network has served on and continues to serve on a range of National Committees dedicated to tackling health inequalities, while promoting wellbeing, mental health, and resilience among men at risk of or experiencing marginalisation.

Over the past 25 years of community development practice, MDN has promoted a social determinants awareness approach to supporting and engaging men in relation to their health and wellbeing. Communities of men in Ireland are quite diverse and can be shaped by social class, location, age, ethnicity, sexuality and/or ability.

We apply appropriate policy and practice, through a transforming masculinities lens, to reflect this diversity and engage men.

Logo website links

In March 2018, the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) launched their ‘Middle-Aged Men and Suicide in Ireland’ report at a Symposium in Dublin titled ‘Men in the Middle’. In this video, Lorcan Brennan from Men’s Development Network interviews participants about the learnings from the report and the event.

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