Projects Reduce Social Isolation for Leeds Men

The Men’s Suicide Prevention Grants programme has invested over £340,000 through 23 grants to Community Organisations in Leeds. Since the first projects were funded in autumn 2018, over 1,350 men have been supported by the programme’s funded activities. 

A partnership between Leeds Community Foundation and Leeds City Council, Public Health, the Men’s Suicide Prevention Grants Programme has funded voluntary and Community Organisations to support social activities for men, and to provide targeted outreach work to reduce social isolation. 

The projects that have received funding include a network of men’s health advocates to provide peer support and signposting to isolated men; a live theatre project bringing the topics of mental health and suicide into the open; and a creative group project enabling men to get involved in music and digital arts. 

One of the organisations that has received funding, Rugby League Cares, is delivering ‘Offload’ in partnership with Leeds Rhinos Foundation. ‘Offload’ is a ‘10-fixture’ preventative men’s mental health programme. The programme involves future participants in the design and delivery, uses male-friendly spaces, uses the language of building mental fitness (not mental ill-health) and involves players in supporting the programme in various ways. 

The programme focuses on three main areas: awareness of own and others’ mental health and coping strategies; support network and seeking help; and increasing the desire to improve employment, training, education or volunteering. 

Almost all of the participants reported that they have a better understanding of their health and wellbeing needs, and over 90% reported having better coping strategies and feeling less lonely and isolated. 

One participant said “The offload program totally changed my mind in how I was feeling so down and lost with my depression but after attending this group I was able to look forward and feel stronger in myself. I would always recommend this program it’s excellent.”.

The latest round of the Men’s Suicide Prevention Grants Programme, which ran in early 2022, awarded just under £100,000 to 6 Community Organisations to deliver activities into 2023. 

If you’d like to learn more about the programme, and hear from grant holders Humans Being and Brackenwood Community Association, you can listen to our podcast episode on the topic. 

For more information on the impact of Leeds Community Foundation’s grant making, visit the Our Impact page.