New men's support group in Carlisle looking to 'break down barriers'
Gateway 4 Men is running 1-1 sessions
A new men's support group looking at challenging stigma around mental health and domestic abuse is now up and running in Carlisle.
The Gateway 4 Men referral service will support people in a variety of ways, including 1-1 sessions in the hopes it makes it easier for the men to open up about their challenges, and get the support they need.
The new initiative has been made possible through funding secured by the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from the Ministry of Justice, for £19,796.
The Office for National Statistics show every year that one in three victims of domestic abuse are male. Yet according to Safelives data only 4.4% men are being supporting by local domestic services.
David Allen, Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner says:
"It was very clear at the ‘Gateway 4 Men’ centre official launch, that specialist services are needed to encourage men to come forward and give them confidence to access the support they need.
“Research has shown the impact of crime and domestic abuse can be experienced differently for men due, in part, to cultural and societal expectations.
“Harmful stereotyping, combined with popular myths and misconceptions around male victims, can act as additional barriers when it comes to reporting and seeking help.
“We need to understand why certain groups within our communities do not come forward to report crime so that we can provide the right support, challenge any barriers male victims face and understand more about the fact that men access services in different ways to women.
“Providing designated support for men will hopefully encourage more male victims to come forwards and report. Help is out there; you do not have to suffer in silence.”