Listen again to an interesting piece on Male Carers on the BBC Women's Hour programme on Radio 4. 

It is estimated that in the UK 42% of family carers are men.

Listen to the piece on the BBC iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/b01n1rbs

All-Ireland final weekend provided a great opportunity to encourage men from a number of local Lurgan GAA clubs to check out their health.  Loughshore Access Project along with the Man Matters Project organised a Men’s Health Day in Sarsfields Gaelic Football Club in Derrytrasna.  The event provided the opportunity for men to access free basic health checks, free basic eye checks, free mini Boxercise sessions and even free smoothies!!

Research from a study of men who took part in health and fitness programmes run by Premier League Clubs has found that many men had made a significant improvement to their lifestyles. The study looked at over 4,000 men, many of whom were overweight, drank heavily, had poor diets and were not exercising enough at the start of the programme. The programme attempted to change the behaviour of the men around food, drink and exercise. Analysis of the Premier League Project by Leeds Metropolitan University showed that 7 out of 10 men had made a positive change to their behaviour, 1 in 3 had improved their diet and 40% were more active.

The Health Minister Edwin Poots, speaking last week on World Suicide Prevention Day said that “people in deprived areas in Northern Ireland are three times more likely to take their lives.”

This stark statistic is also backed up by research from the WEA’s Man Matters Project which focuses on males. A research paper produced by Man Matters called Tackling the Root Causes of Men’s [ill]-Health highlighted that although international studies show that women are diagnosed with depression about twice more often than men, men are approximately twice as likely to die from suicide, with suicide rates in Northern Ireland being almost four times higher in men than in women.

Man Matters attended a Winter Planning Event for Older People in the Donegall Pass Community Centre this week.  The event is the first in a series of winter planning events taking place in Belfast.  The events are being organised by the community, voluntary and local Government sector and are aimed at older people including those who are vulnerable and isolated.

The Workers’ Educational Association is working with Focus on Family to run a photography project with a difference… in your neighbourhood.

We are offering workshops for anyone interested in exploring themes of diversity, equality and respect,through digital photography.

No previous experience of digital photography is needed but you will be asked to bring your own camera (or camera phone) and be willing to experiment.

Four sessions will address the themes and consider basic principles of good photography. Participants will be asked to take pictures in their own time.

Who can participate? Residents from the Ballysally area and the local community from Coleraine.

The WEA is delighted to be working with the Belfast Festival at Queens by helping them capture stories from the public for their Anthology.

As part of the 50th Belfast Festival at Queen's celebrations, Belfast Festival Anthology, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is looking back at the many stories which have made the Festival so important to the life of the city.

What's been your festival highlight? Do you have any festival tales? Do you have photos or festival memorabilia collecting dust? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Your stories might be from as recent as last year, or any time in the last 50 years of Festival, reflecting shows or events that you attended, something else that was happening in Belfast at the time or was made memorable because of the people who were involved: we would like to hear from you. Stories can be brief or tell a longer tale. Don't forget to mention the WEA if this message prompts you to submit your narrative.

The WEA is running a couple of sessions to help you get writing, so if you'd like to come along, please register with Carole Kane on 90329718 or email: carole.kane@wea-ni.com.

4th & 11th October, 6.45pm-8.15pm in our office, 3 Fitzwilliam Street, Belfast, BT9 6AW.

Alternatively, email festivalanthology@qub.ac.uk or write to Belfast Festival Anthology, 75 University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN to be part of this project and for your chance to win a pair of tickets to Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Don't forget to mention that you've been prompted to write your story by the WEA!

Last week we held a very well attended Men's Health workshop in Ballybot House in Newry.  The workshop was called Men's Health: The Engagement Jigsaw.  

Research into men's attitudes indicates that they do recognise they have health needs, that their lives would be better if they looked after themselves more, and that they would welcome an expanded range of dedicated services, yet many still do not become involved in health programmes and services.

BBC Performing Arts have made a feature of our Body Wisdom Project on their winners page just follow link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund/winners/body_wisdom

The Workers’ Educational Association in partnership with

Presents
 

Me, Myself, I/Take 2

A photography project for the over 50's LGBT community