Surviving, Thriving and Supporting Vulnerable Men

Humans Being run mental health courses and groups with an emphasis on the ways that different genders experience mental health. With Foundation support, they were able to run ‘Survive and Thrive’, which gave foodbank and soup kitchen volunteers training on supporting vulnerable men.

• Could you give us a brief description of your project and its main aim?

Through the Leeds Mens Suicide Prevention grants, LCF is funding us to run ‘Survive and Thrive’ – training for foodbank volunteers to support the wellbeing of vulnerable men, helping reduce isolation and the risk of suicide.

• What’s the need and what might be the situation if the support you offer didn’t exist?

Leeds is full of amazing volunteers with passion, skills and great relationships with every community in the city, but the issues these volunteers are dealing with can be overwhelming.

Our latest course was with volunteers at the wonderful Neruka’s Soup Kitchen in Harehills.

It’s not only food poverty that people come to the soup kitchen with. It’s homelessness, domestic violence, social isolation, mental health issues and suicidal feelings. Harehills has one of the highest suicide rates in Leeds and food bank users are particularly at risk.

•  What has this kind of support allowed you to do? Who have you been able to support?

Humans Being worked with Neruka’s Soup Kitchen, talking through the issues, harnessing the strengths and finding solutions when we could.

We looked at what mental wellbeing means, at listening skills, signposting, at the culture of masculinity and the particular challenges that men face, how to deal with suicide risk and the importance of self-care and boundaries for volunteers.

• Could you share a rewarding moment you’ve had during this period?

Volunteering at a soup kitchen in the pandemic is tough but through this project, Humans Being has been able to make a difference. Here’s a typical story from a course participant:

“An elderly guy came and told us he felt like taking his own life. It’s hard to know what to do in that situation but the (Humans Being) training gives you confidence in what you’re saying. We chatted and I listened.

The practical things help but also meeting him at a human level so he’s not feeling like he’s just by himself.

I connected him with the Samaritans and another crisis line. When he left he sounded a lot better and we knew he was talking to someone else.”