Mix men and dogs, add walking, and (maybe) produce some talking

Getting outdoors, exercising and having a chat while they’re at it is the positive approach some men are taking to support themselves and their mental wellbeing. Men’s Walk and Talk groups are appearing around the country with weekly meet-ups. They are hosted by walking groups, county councils and walking initiatives and are led by volunteers with a knowledge and understanding of the vulnerabilities and struggles in men’s lives.

One such group is Dudes and Dogs, a UK and Ireland walking group with the Cork contingent led by Mark Kelly was on student placement for his undergraduate degree at UCC when he worked with the community link worker in Ballincollig, Brian McMahon, who had heard of the Dudes and Dogs idea and thought it would be a good way to help men in the community after the first lockdown. “I started helping Brian run the weekly walk and eventually reached out to Rob Osman of Dudes and Dogs to ask about running the walks officially in Cork and Ireland.”

These walking groups promote a positive change in men’s mental wellbeing with a keen focus on fresh air and exercise. All men are welcome to tag along no matter their age, circumstances, experiences, or even whether they have a four-legged friend.

“We tell anyone who is interested that there are no expectations,” says Kelly. “It’s just a walk and a talk. Guys don’t have to share anything if they don’t feel comfortable, nor do guys need to have a dog. The only thing they need to do is show up and enjoy an hour’s walk and a nice coffee and a chat. There are a variety of men who join the walks with ages ranging from the mid-30s up to early-50s. Most of our walkers tend to come from outside Cork. We have seen that many who have moved to Ireland have found it difficult to establish a social group, and this is especially difficult for single men.”

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As a health and safety representative in his job for many years, Michael Macken from Swords, Co Dublin also understands that general safety encompasses more than our health and plays a significant part in our mental health concerns. Throughout the pandemic, Macken became conscious of the change in colleagues’ mental wellbeing and took a mental health first aid course.

“The course helped me recognise that mental health issues come in many varied forms and are not always obvious,” he says. “I saw an advertisement on social media looking for walk leaders for a new Men’s Walk and Talk Group that Fingal County Council were hoping to start. I attended an online meeting with Stephen McGinn from Sport and Community, Fingal CC, where he talked us through the initiative. It sounded like something I’d be interested in as I love to get out hiking or hillwalking and meeting new people.”

The benefits of joining a Walk and Talk group are many and varied with Macken highlighting how it’s a great way to not only get out into the fresh air for exercise but to meet new people.

“It’s a casual meet-up with no agenda or script,” he says. “As we walk, we talk to whoever happens to be alongside us. We walk different routes each week so people might get to see and find out something new about the local area. I think people open up a bit almost subconsciously as they’re moving along as there is no pressure. Lads can talk freely or not. It’s all very relaxed. We’ve had a pretty good response and attendance for our walks so far. Our attendees are aged from 30 upwards so far so age is not relevant. We have employed, unemployed and retired people coming along.”

Dudes and Dogs in Cork also encourages men from all backgrounds to join them. “We hope to engage more men from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds,” says Kelly, “as we believe the diversity of any group only makes it stronger and it’s always cool to find out something about someone from a culture you may not be familiar with.”

While the stigma of mental health concerns still needs to be challenged, men are walking out of the pandemic, embracing walk and talk groups to refocus their mental wellbeing. Compassion, confidence, optimism and good relationships with others are cornerstones of walk and talk groups that help to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression.

“Mental health is still stigmatised in Ireland, particularly among men, but there has been a positive change in recent years,” says Macken. “Covid has certainly highlighted the problems and highlighted the resources that are out there. Certainly, there is more education and awareness about mental health available.”

As Kelly acknowledges, the overall suicide rate for males is four times higher than females. “We want this to stop,” he says. “We want to get men in touch with themselves and to challenge a lot of the stigma and stereotypes still surrounding men and masculinity. We feel that a model of engagement tailored for men is one that will best serve their needs, and we want men to celebrate the things that make us men. The outdated notions of ‘man up’ and ‘boys don’t cry’ are detrimental to men and their wellbeing, and we want to challenge that and change it.”

Both groups use the same model as the Men’s Sheds, who were forced to close and rethink their connections throughout restrictions. The pandemic has certainly been a driver for these walking groups as the isolation of the past two years has had a significant effect on activity-based groups. The need for interaction became more important than ever, and so a shift occurred.

“A focus on activity-based groups has seen better uptake,” says Kelly, “and men are reported to feel more comfortable when there is an external focus. We believe that men talk when they are shoulder to shoulder, Macken says, “Some men were missing the company and fun that the Men’s Shed provided so going for a walk helped with that. I’ve always said a good walk is good for the mind, body and soul and would encourage everyone to get out there at every chance they get.”

Jason King, national programme manager for Get Ireland Walking, says, “We’ve supported Irish Men’s Shed’s and Sheds ag Siúl walking programme since 2017 and it is a natural fit to help with increasing walking participation for men and, in turn, the physical, mental and social health of shedders in Ireland. We know walking has great health benefits and have developed a toolkit that is available for every shed in Ireland. The toolkit includes hats, high-vis vests, information leaflets and a booklet signposting to available resources and tips and useful information.”