Men and boys across the UK will receive greater support to live longer, healthier lives under a major new partnership announced today between the Department of Health and Social Care, Movember, and the People’s Health Trust.
The new Men’s Health Community Fund, backed by a total investment of £6.3 million, will support community‑led projects aimed at reaching underserved men aged 16 and over – particularly those who are least likely to engage with traditional health services.
DHSC is contributing £3 million, with Movember and People’s Health Trust more than doubling this through additional funding. The programme marks a significant step in tackling men’s health inequalities and improving emotional, physical and social wellbeing across the country.
The partnership will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to pioneer new models of support, test what works best for men, and build services around the real‑world needs of local communities.
Funding will support projects that help men at key transition points or moments of vulnerability, including:
- Support programmes for new fathers
- Activities tackling loneliness and social isolation
- Projects to help young men build social connections and engage with health services
- Services supporting men in work, out of work, or preparing for retirement
An independent evaluation funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will ensure the programme generates robust evidence to guide future men’s health policy and service design.
The measures form part of the wider Men’s Health Strategy, which aims to improve outcomes for men and boys facing specific health challenges, including higher rates of preventable illness, mental health issues and substance use.
Men are often less likely than women to seek help early and more likely to suffer in silence, contributing to poorer outcomes and greater health inequalities.
The strategy also recognises that factors such as higher rates of smoking, drinking, gambling and drug use place many men at elevated risk of poor health, with knock‑on effects for families, workplaces and communities.
As part of its broader approach to men’s health, the government is also investing £3.6 million over the next three years in suicide prevention projects targeted at middle‑aged men, who remain one of the highest‑risk groups in the UK.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for men under 50, with three‑quarters of all suicides involving men. The new community‑based projects will address barriers such as:
- Stigma associated with seeking help
- Lack of awareness of local support services
- Difficulty accessing timely mental health support
Experts and men with lived experience of suicidal thoughts or crisis will co‑design the projects to ensure interventions genuinely meet their needs.
Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:
“Too many men across the country are living shorter, less healthy lives – particularly those in our most disadvantaged communities.
“This new partnership will help men get the support they need in the places they feel most comfortable – their communities, among people they trust. By working with expert charities and local organisations, we can reach the men who are too often missed by traditional services and help them take better care of their mental and physical health.
“It is a key step in delivering our first ever Men’s Health Strategy and driving forward our ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas.”
This investment builds on wider work to improve mental health provision, including the expansion of school‑based mental health teams, which will ensure an additional 900,000 pupils can access support by April 2026.
Together, the Men’s Health Community Fund and targeted suicide prevention work mark a significant shift in how the UK supports the health of men and boys, moving away from crisis‑focused interventions and towards earlier, community‑based support.
The partnership aims not only to deliver immediate help but also to create a blueprint of proven, scalable approaches that can be expanded across the country in the coming years.
Image credit: iStock
