What is it to be a man?

This year, here on The Fylde Coast, we will once again be celebrating International Men’s Day! The purpose of the day is all about:

• Making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys
• Raising awareness and/or funds for organisation supporting men and boys’ wellbeing
• Promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity

For the past few years, International Men’s Day Events in Blackpool have focussed quite rightly on men’s mental health, especially suicide prevention. However, this year we will be concentrating on ‘promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity.’

We believe that being a man in 2022 can and should be expressed in many, many ways. However, we also believe that being a man in 2022 should involve being able to talk comfortably about mental health and a complete rejection of misogyny and violence towards women and girls. 

We are very proud that this year’s International Men’s Day theme on, The Fylde Coast, will be, ‘Being a Man in 2022’, focussing on what we can celebrate and what we need to change. There will be a fully accessible Toolkit with resources for teachers, youth workers and practitioners to access and work alongside young men to examine ‘What is is to be a man in 2022′.

All activities, worksheets and resources within the Toolkit, are designed by experienced youth workers, young men and young women and include a variety of activities, which also include the  lived experience of women and girls. The Toolkit will allow for thought provoking conversations to take place with young men and an opportunity for all men to grow and develop to reach their unique potential.

Click here to view the White Ribbon UK campaign.

IMD 2022 CALL TO ACTION

We are asking school, colleges, youth groups, businesses, organisations and community groups to join us in supporting young men and collectively join us in our Call to Action. Please download the Call to Action pledge cards and share selfies and photos of your friends, students, colleagues, groups and peers from the 14th to 18th November and tag in @twguk using the hashtag #FyldeCoastIMD22

The IMD theme will continue across the week beginning the 14th November, as we ask you to be support our Call to Action and help bring together a collective movement to support the well being of young men as well as challenge the negatively of toxic masculinity and also support the White Ribbon Campaign.