Wiltshire Men boost mental health in activity programme

12 men completed the first course of the program

Wiltshire men improved their mental wellbeing in nature and physical activity programme.

12 men joined the three-month course set up by the council and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) in Salisbury.

It launched in February and encourages men to build their social networks while participating in activities such as hiking or woodworking.

WWT director of education and wellbeing Damian Haasjes told Greatest Hits Radio it was a success, saying men are more likely to open up when they are active.

“Blokies like to do and talk, not just stand in front of someone and talk. So I’ve learned a lot over the years about how that makes it a lot easier,” he said.

He added that stereotypes about men being “strong and silent” aren’t helpful and that men shouldn’t be afraid of how people will respond when they open up.

“Our experience tells us that actually when men open up to their friends and partners, they engage with it and generally it’s really positive and can open up the conversation,” Mr Haasjes said.

He told GHR that the 12 men on the course, who were a mix of GPs and self-referrals, started getting involved in the very first session.

“We’re creating safe spaces,” he said, adding: “We know being in nature benefits us, but we’re just trying to make sure people feel safe.

“We’ll open up the conversation sometimes, but the conversation will flow pretty naturally,” he said.

The men were given time to build trust

The 12-week course is designed to give people time to open up.

“We don’t expect people to open up from day one. Some people it will take weeks, months, so don’t put pressure on spending time, build that relationship and you know, and let people go at their own pace, that’s really important,” Mr Haasjes said.

The first program was declared a success, with Mr Haasjes telling us that the turnout was “very high”.

And following this triumph, further courses are planned across the county – the next one starts on June 24. We can find out how to register for the next course through the WWT website.

But the support for the first dozen participants did not end.

Mr Haasjes said: “We will be hitting the ground running with the group, we have other activities in the next two years and we will link them with other volunteering opportunities and other opportunities in the area.

“It was really positive.”

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