Monday 25-11-2024 - 13:43

Making a racket! An all-new approach to talking mental health...

We are Active Minds, a new student group as of September this year. Our goal is to create a space where men feel comfortable to talk about how they feel.

We know that bottling up emotions and refusing to talk about them is still recognised today as a sign of bravery. It is this idea that masculinity can be measured by 'a stiff upper lip' that Active Minds wants to change.

We also know the way we are currently encouraged to talk about our mental health is not in a positive way. The stereotypical image of a circle of chairs in a dark room is still true of most support groups, which there's nothing wrong with, but we want to show that opening up about your mental health can actually be an uplifting experience.

Our sessions start off with some casual table tennis, and then we sit down and talk. There's no questions, there's no spotlight, and there's no pressure.

Why join our sessions?

1. Find support amongst your peers: We aren't professionals, but we are here to listen. Someone may have gone through similar circumstances that can help you navigate them too.
2. Meet new people and make new friends: When you talk and share how you feel, you can develop deep connections. It's a chance to develop meaningful friendships.
3. Break the stigma. Be part of something bigger: You could make a real difference to someone's well-being, just by being there and listening.

So come along, bring a friend and see what it's like! You might not fancy sharing anything at first, but it could be that meeting others with similar experiences could help. Together we can make a real difference to men's mental health.

We meet every Tuesday, 18:00-19:30, at the Tom Percival Annex in Brooks House, St Cuthbert's Parson's Site (DH1 3JP).

You can follow our journey and get updates on our Instagram or our Facebook.