The Access Foundation are pleased to share that they have awarded a £5,000 grant to Abbey Physic Community Garden to enable a Men’s Breakfast Club.
According to a government report, three out of four people who take their own lives are men; this is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in England and Wales.
The £5,000 grant will fund Abbey Physic Community Garden’s new initiative – the Men’s Breakfast Club which will support 50 men over a 12-month period.
Men typically find it more difficult to build social connections than women, and historically, do not seek support when needed. The Men’s Breakfast Club is expected to improve attendees’:
- Physical and mental health.
- Access to peer support and connection.
- Confidence.
- Understanding of, and skills for, self-care.
Based in Kent, The Abbey Physic Community Garden was established to support people struggling with mental and/or physical health, isolation and/or loneliness, or socio-economic disadvantage. Their goal is to help people maintain and improve their mental and physical health and well-being.
The Garden already provides The Faversham Men’s Shed – a supportive space for connecting with people and having someone to share worries with. Still, members of the garden and local referrers believe that greater support is needed for men, including veterans. The Men’s Breakfast Club will provide similar support to those that are hard to reach.
An attendee of the Men’s Shed shared his life-saving experience:
“I can honestly say I wouldn’t be alive today if I hadn’t come back… you sat with me and listened and put me on the phone to someone who could help.”
*Source: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/124/mental-health-of-men-and-boys-followup/publications/
