Local MP Robbie Moore and local GP Dr Caroline Rayment of Grange Park Surgery joined forces for a second year to host a successful Mental Health Forum, bringing together local experts to explore the mental health and wellbeing of young men and boys.
Attended by more than 70 professionals from across the healthcare, education, and mental health sectors, the forum focused on the challenges facing young men and boys, a topic that has become increasingly prominent both in Dr Rayment's clinical practice, and in wider national conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
The event featured a keynote address and Q&A session with Dr Luke Evans MP, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care and a long-standing advocate for men's mental health.
This was followed by a panel discussion featuring local experts, including Dr Tom Bewick, Local General Practitioner; Simon Ford, Deputy Headteacher at Ilkley Grammar School; Anthony Casson, Strategic Coordinator for Bradford Council Youth Service; and Lisa Stead, Clinical Lead for the Mental Health Support Team in West Bradford.
Highlighting the importance of community partnership and collaboration, the forum also included an interactive workshop where attendees were asked to reflect on their experiences of supporting young men and boys with their mental health and identify what they see as the key opportunities to strengthen local support.
The event built on last year's forum, which focused on the impact of smartphones and social media on young people's mental health. In light of the valuable insights generated and connections made at that event, Robbie Moore and Dr Rayment agreed it was important to continue the conversation by hosting a follow-up forum focused on another important area of mental health and wellbeing.
The mental health of young men and boys was a natural focus for this year's event, reflecting the growing recognition, both locally and nationally, of the challenges they are facing. From the influence of social media and online âinfluencersâ, to wider questions around identity, masculinity, and the barriers many young men encounter when seeking support, the forum provided a valuable platform to deepen understanding, share expertise, and identify practical ways in which we, as a community, can work together to improve support for young men and boys, rather than in isolated silos.
Commenting on the event, co-chair Robbie Moore MP said:
Itâs been a privilege working alongside Dr Caroline Rayment in delivering our second Mental Health Forum. This year, we focused on the mental health and wellbeing of young men and boys, exploring the challenges they face and how we as a community can better support them.
Men and young boys face a silent crisis in mental health, shown by high suicide rates and rising loneliness. Unfortunately, many boys often grow up learning to hide their feelings instead of asking for help, and many existing services often fail to reach men before a mental health and wellbeing crisis happens.
I firmly believe that we need dedicated national attention on this issue, which is why a Minister for Men would help focus government policy, provide leadership in this space, direct vital funding and help break the stigma that stops men from speaking out.
It was great to see over 70 local professionals from across healthcare, education, and mental health services come together to share their expertise and explore ways we can strengthen the support available to young men in our community was incredibly encouraging.
I want to thank all those who spoke at the event for their excellent contributions, including the stallholders, and everyone else who contributed to the event. Their time, expertise, and commitment to improving local mental health support were invaluable and helped make this forum the success that it was.
Co-chair Dr Caroline Rayment said:
It was a great afternoon talking about boys and young menâs mental health. Itâs a really important topic â I donât think we talk about it enough â and we sometimes find it really hard to support those young people.
Iâm really encouraged by the information weâve shared this afternoon, the relationships weâve built, and weâve learnt about the services available across the area. Thatâs so important, and hopefully we can build on this in future and work together more collectively to deliver a better service for our boys and young men.
Speaker Dr Luke Evans MP said:
Itâs been fantastic. The chance to come and talk about men and boysâ issues with stakeholders that really matter in the community. Itâs all very well the Government coming up with policies and ideas, but what really matters is making action happen.
Seeing everyone come together in one space, sharing their experiences, and making those decisions together is so important. Itâs a real privilege from my side, as a shadow minister responsible for mental health and wellbeing, to be able to hear their ideas, take them, and look at how we create policy.
A really successful day. Well done Robbie and his team.
Robbie Moore is encouraging any constituents who have thoughts, ideas, or concerns on this topic to get in touch with him at [email protected]
